Girls' equal participation in education. Period. : A field study on how Indian schoolgirls perceive menstruation stigmas to affect their access to education

Abstract: Menstruation stigmas and a lack of facilities to manage periods have been identified as possible hinders for girls’ equal access to education all over of the world. This paper focuses on investigating how menstruation stigmas generate obstacles for girls’ equal access to, and participation in, education. Its aim is to investigate how girls in an Indian context perceive menstruation stigmas to affect them, particularly when it comes to school attendance and ability to learn in school. This is done by conducting group wise individual respondent interviews with female students from a school deemed to be less likely to subject its students to strong restricting stigmas and norms. An informant interview with the school principal, a text analysis of the school’s biology text book and respondent interviews with teachers were used as additional material for the study. The girls at the analysed school were found to perceive their capabilities to participate in education to be affected by menstruation stigmas and norms. Because these results were found in a less stigmatising environment, the paper suggests that students subjected to even more social pressure might be even more affected by menstruation stigmas. Recommendations are thus for development research and practice to break taboos and lessen the stigmas that surround menstruation.