Uganda: Menstruation as a barrier to gender equality in Uganda

Puberty can have a severe effect on girls' performance and attendance in upper primary schools in Uganda. In many schools, girls are absent for an average of three to five days a month because they do not have access to adequate protection such as sanitary towels or pads. For some subjects, the result of such regular absenteeism can be devastating as girls miss out on vital stages of the syllabus, resulting in gaps in the learning stages, which they find hard to catch up on later.