Heart Friends, Pad Boxes, and 'Bread': The social ecology of girls' menstruation in two Nairobi slums Open Access
Girod, Candace (2016)
Abstract
There is a great deal of research on menstrual hygiene in Kenya, compared to other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, very little research has been conducted on menstrual hygiene in urban slums. The Kenyan government created a new policy providing menstrual pads to public schools in low resource areas, but few studies document the difference between girls' experience of menstruation at public schools with government pad provision compared to private schools without it. We conducted qualitative research with girls and teachers in two Nairobi slums to understand the factors influencing girls' experience of menstruation at school. We found that public schools had more WASH facilities available, but access was not equitable across the student body. Individual, social, physical, and societal factors influenced girls' ability to manage their menstruation at school. Key findings included that Muslim students practicing ablution were unable to use certain toilets at both public and private schools, and teachers used language that encouraged gender inequality for girls. Targeted data collection focusing on specific segments of school populations that may be neglected is necessary to create a complete depiction of access. Furthermore, implementers must devise new programs incorporating menarche into sexual and reproductive health curricula encouraging gender equity.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction 1
Problem Statement 2
Research Objective 2
Purpose and Significance Statement 3
Chapter 2: Literature Review 4
Importance of Adolescence 4
School Settings and Gender 5
Menstrual Hygiene Challenges 7
Menstrual Hygiene and Religion 12
Menstrual Hygiene in Slums 12
Menstrual Hygiene in Kenya 13
WASH and Education in Nairobi Slums 16
Menstrual Hygiene in Nairobi Slums 18
Conclusion 18
Chapter 3: Manuscript 20
Contribution of Student 21
Abstract 22
Introduction 23
Methods 26
Study Setting 26
School Selection 27
Research activities 28
Data Collection and preparation 30
Analysis 31
Ethics 31
Results 32
Socio-ecological Model for Girls Experience of Menstruation at School 34
Individual Factors 35
Social Environment 39
Physical Environment 42
Societal Factors 44
Chapter 4: Conclusion and Recommendations 56
Appendices 68
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