Policy Title: Statewide Menstrual Health and Girls’ Education Protection Policy

Policy Title: Statewide Menstrual Health and Girls’ Education Protection Policy

The Problem

Menstrual health challenges, limited access to sanitary products, inadequate sanitation facilities, and poverty can make it difficult for girls to participate consistently in school. Girls should not have to choose between managing their menstrual health and pursuing their education.

My Policy Proposal

I propose that the State House of Assembly introduce a Menstrual Health and Girls’ Education Protection Policy to ensure that every girl in public primary and secondary schools has access to menstrual hygiene education, affordable or free sanitary products for girls from low-income households, and safe, private, and functional sanitation facilities.

The policy should require schools to provide age-appropriate menstrual health education, establish confidential reporting channels for menstrual health-related challenges, and strengthen protection against discrimination, bullying, and exclusion associated with menstruation.

The state government should collaborate with schools, healthcare professionals, civil society organisations, and development partners to implement the policy. Annual budgetary allocations should support its implementation, while the relevant legislative committees monitor progress through school inspections, public reporting, and feedback from students.

Expected Impact

This policy would promote girls’ school attendance and retention, protect their dignity, improve menstrual health awareness, and advance gender equality in education. It would also strengthen government accountability by ensuring that commitments to girls’ rights translate into practical action.

Every girl deserves an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and achieve her dreams without menstrual health challenges becoming a barrier to her education.