Understanding Her Changes: YAD Held School Session Is Empowering Adolescent Girls in Mohammadpur

For many adolescent girls in Bangladesh, puberty begins with confusion rather than confidence. Questions about body changes, menstruation, and personal hygiene often remain unanswered due to social stigma and a lack of open discussion. As a result, many girls navigate one of the most important stages of their lives without the information they need to stay healthy, informed, and confident.

Against this backdrop, Youth Action for Development (YAD) organised a school-based adolescent health awareness session for girls yesterday at Madbarbazar Ashrafabad High School under the Youth Share-Net Project. The session, titled “Understanding Her Changes: Puberty, Periods & Positive Growth,” focused on helping adolescent girls understand puberty, menstrual health, hygiene, emotional wellbeing, and self-confidence in a safe and supportive environment.

Facilitated by three members of the Youth SRHR Club alongside youth volunteers, the session encouraged participants to openly discuss topics that are often considered sensitive in many communities. Through interactive discussions and awareness activities, the facilitators created a space where girls could ask questions without fear of judgment.

The initiative comes at a critical time. Despite progress in girls’ education and health awareness, menstruation remains surrounded by stigma in many parts of Bangladesh. According to UNICEF, around 30 percent of girls in Bangladesh miss approximately 2.5 days of school every month because of menstruation, often due to inadequate menstrual hygiene facilities, social embarrassment, and misinformation. UNICEF also reports that nearly half of Bangladeshi schoolgirls had not heard about menstruation before experiencing their first period.

The consequences extend beyond health. Research in Bangladesh has shown that poor menstrual hygiene management contributes significantly to school absenteeism, affecting girls’ academic performance and confidence. Studies have found that misconceptions, lack of facilities, and social restrictions remain major barriers for adolescent girls.

Recognising these challenges, the YAD team combined education with practical support by distributing sanitary pads among participants. While simple, such gestures can have a meaningful impact. Access to menstrual products, coupled with accurate information, helps girls manage their periods safely and with dignity.

The session also reflected a growing emphasis within the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) movement on peer-led learning. Young people often feel more comfortable discussing sensitive issues with peers who understand their experiences. By involving members of the Youth SRHR Club as facilitators, the programme demonstrated how youth leadership can strengthen health education at the community level.

Implemented by YAD under the Youth Share-Net Project, hosted by RedOrange Limited and supported by AmplifyChange, the initiative highlights the value of investing in adolescent girls not only as beneficiaries of health programmes but also as future leaders and change-makers.

In the end, menstrual health is about more than periods. It is about dignity, education, confidence, and opportunity. Every conversation that breaks a taboo, every question that receives an honest answer, and every girl who learns to understand her changing body brings Bangladesh one step closer to a future where health information is not a privilege, but a right.