Remember your first period? For many of us, it’s a big moment growing up.
But what if instead of celebrating this milestone, your family went quiet, or made you feel ashamed about it?
That’s what happens for many girls in Zimbabwe, where outdated views about menstruation create a wall of silence that keeps girls from talking about their bodies with the people they trust most.
Meet Sandengomusa, who lives in rural Zimbabwe. She has a good relationship with her father, but there was one topic they had never discussed: her period.
“It was taboo,” she says. “It would have appeared as if I was disrespecting him or wishing him bad luck.”
Breaking taboos with health education
An estimated 1.8 billion people around the world menstruate. Millions of them are unable to manage their periods in a healthy way, often facing stigma, discrimination or harassment and being left out or isolated when they have their period.
That’s why Plan International teamed up with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, to create health-education programs that teach girls about their bodies and healthy relationships. These programs help them and their parents have honest conversations about growing up. When girls understand their bodies and rights, they can speak up without shame, make smart choices and build more independent lives.
Check out how Plan International partnered with the Global Fund to help educate families, especially fathers, about menstrual health.
These programs include HIV education in schools, HIV testing, counselling in high-risk transmission communities and guided group discussions that encourage honest conversations on topics like menstruation and HIV/AIDS.
How education changes lives
These open conversations are changing minds and breaking down stereotypes about girls and women. When everyone learns together, communities start treating girls more fairly. This matters because when girls aren’t treated equally, they face greater health risks, including HIV, which affects young women between ages 15–24 especially hard.
These conversations also help fathers and mothers understand how they can support their daughters to thrive in all areas of their lives.
“As for my children, I would like them to grow up to be people who are well behaved and who respect their bodies and do not look down on themselves because they are girls, but know that they are equal to men,” says Sandengomusa’s father, Leonard Mpofu.
Creating long-term impact
Between 2018 and 2023, a total of 53,211 adolescent girls, women and parents in Zimbabwe attended a Plan-facilitated learning session. Group facilitator Charity Lunga saw the impact almost immediately.
“When I spoke to them to explain, the men were understanding and realizing there is no difference between the two parents when it comes to discussing menstruation with their child,” she says.
Kholisani says participating in the program with his then-13-year-old daughter, Thembinkoisi, has significantly changed their relationship for the better.
“This program has shifted the perception in our culture that it was taboo for a father to speak to his daughter about her body changing while growing up,” he says. “My heart has been liberated – I can talk freely and without shame.” He adds that he’s not embarrassed to buy menstrual pads from the store for his daughters.
Breaking the cycle of silence
When girls don’t have pads or tampons, many skip school because they’re worried about leaks or being teased. Missing school isn’t the only problem – without these basics, girls miss out on earning opportunities and spending time with friends, too. Some end up in dangerous situations trying to earn money for these essential products, which puts them at risk for serious health issues, including HIV/AIDS.
“I am so happy about this program; it has really helped us girls,” says Sandengomusa. “For me, I was able to go to school and finished last year when I sat for my exams. We are now taking care of ourselves, and we have learned a lot about our lives and how to get along with our parents.”