We are pleased to introduce our first overseas branch located in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopia branch was established in March 2022 with the goal of supporting vulnerable children in areas such as hygiene, health, and education. There is an
urgent need for support in various areas, including the construction of sanitation facilities and menstrual hygiene education. In rural areas of Ethiopia, particularly
amid an ongoing civil war, young women and adolescent girls face challenges in accessing menstrual pads in their daily lives. Due to the high cost and limited
availability of menstrual pads, only about 1.6% of the population can use them. As a result, many resort to using old rags or other makeshift alternatives like
straw. Students often have the need to miss school during their menstrual periods due to the lack of proper toilet facilities, forcing them to go home. According to
the FSG report on Menstrual Health in Ethiopia: Country Landscape Analysis, approximately 1 out of 6 young women and adolescent girls in Ethiopia miss
school during their menstrual cycles. This often leads to school dropout, with the highest dropout rates observed among girls in the eighth grade, as they face
the challenges related to menstruation.
Here are the interviews conducted with girls in the eighth grade.
“How many students are there in the school?”
“Our school has a total of 1,694 students. Among them, there are 1,030 female students, which is significantly more than the number of male students.
However, female students tend to have higher dropout rates compared to male students.”
“Why do female students have higher dropout rates?”
“Female students primarily have higher dropout rates during their menstrual periods. This is due to negative attitudes towards menstruation among
their peers, leading to ridicule and discrimination. Even though they experience pain from menstruation, they are afraid to seek help or support.”
“Have you ever faced difficulties due to menstruation?”
“We have a menstrual hygiene awareness club in our school that aims to improve the understanding of hygiene among female students. However,
even within the club, when someone is menstruating, friends often ridicule, criticize, and make fun of each other. I remember feeling extremely
embarrassed when I was mocked, especially when I went to change my menstrual pad. One of my friends was deeply hurt by these issues and ended
up leaving school.”
“What is the condition of the restrooms where you can change menstrual pads?”
“When menstruation occurs unexpectedly and causes confusion, female teachers allow us to temporarily use the staff restroom and provide us with
the menstrual pads. However, to access the regular restroom, we toned to walk for about ten minutes through a dense forest, far away from the main
area. Even when we reach the restroom, the door doesn’t close properly, which is quite scary. Due to these difficulties, many female students choose
not to come to school during their menstrual period.”
Interviewer: Heejae Park, Gfoundation staff / Interviewee: School girls
Through interviews with Ethiopian female adolescents, we became more aware of the difficulties they face school due to incorrect social perceptions and
unfavorable environments surrounding menstruation.
Gfoundation initiated the construction of restroom facilities equipped with sanitation rooms, aiming to ensure that Ethiopian female adolescents can attend
school without fretting during their menstrual periods.
Alongside the construction, we conducted menstrual hygiene education for girls within the school and provided four months’ worth of menstrual supplies.
With your involvement and support, we can join hands to help Ethiopian girls have confidence and secure their menstrual period, enabling them to pursue their dreams!
