Nexus between Menstrual Hygiene Management Facilities and Primary School Girls’ Class Attendance in Uganda

Abstract

Inadequate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities has remained a daunting reality in majority of schools in low-income countries. In this study, the authors examined the availability of physical facilities for menstrual hygiene management, class attendance of girls from P.4 to P.7 and the relationship between the physical menstrual hygiene management facilities and class attendance of girls in primary schools. The paper was constructed from secondary datasets from the Eighth Uwezo Learning Assessment. A total of 954 schools were enlisted for the study. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics and spearman rank correlation. Based on the findings, the study argues that promotion of girl child education through provision of WASH facilities unveiled both challenges and successful stories. While private rooms and functional hand washing facilities were limited in numbers, and in some cases not available at all, separate latrine stances were largely available. There were remarkable differences in the average girls’ attendance across regions and classes. Due to diverse relationships between menstrual hygiene facilities and class attendance, the study concludes that enhanced WASH facilities promote girls’ attendance while inadequate facilities hinder the attendance. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education and Sports should prioritize provision of adequate WASH facilities in primary schools. In addition, the government should ensure that interventions from development and/or education partners maximize the provision of quality WASH facilities for enhanced girls’ school attendance.