Stitching confidence and dignity: Adolescent girls tackle period poverty in Uganda

GULU DISTRICT, Uganda — In the quiet rural communities of Omel Sub-County in Gulu District, adolescent girls and teenage mothers are reclaiming their confidence and dignity. 

In Omel, period poverty can impact a girl’s school attendance and her confidence to participate fully in her community. With limited access to affordable sanitary pads, many girls have been forced to rely on unsafe alternatives. Some miss school. Others isolate themselves. Many quietly carry the burden of stigma and discomfort.

“I never imagined I could make something that helps not only me, but other girls as well."

In low-income households across Uganda, an estimated 30 per cent of girls miss school during their menstrual cycle because they cannot afford sanitary materials. The situation is further compounded by stigma and limited information, with approximately 60 per cent of girls reporting feeling shame during menstruation, according to the Ministry of Education and Sports. These overlapping barriers disproportionately affect rural and vulnerable girls, including teenage mothers.

Listening to the voices of the girls themselves, Spotlight Initiative supported the United Nations Population Fund in Uganda in partnership with BRAC Uganda to integrate menstrual hygiene management into youth clubs for adolescents.

At the Tic Ma Tek Girls Empowerment and Livelihood Club, adolescent girls and teenage mothers came together under the guidance of menstrual hygiene management trainers to learn a new skill: how to make reusable sanitary pads.

The learning did not start with needles and fabric. It began with conversations — honest ones that are too often avoided. The girls were able to speak openly about menstrual health, puberty and adolescence. They learned how to use and care for reusable pads.

Step by step, the trainers introduced materials, techniques and quality checks. 

By the end of the training, every participant had made a reusable sanitary pad. Many expressed their desire to share their new skill with other girls, quietly multiplying the impact across their villages.

“I never imagined I could make something that helps not only me, but other girls as well,” one teenage mother shared, her voice bright with pride. “Now I can manage my periods safely and I want to teach other girls in my village.”

In communities, this is how transformation begins — one skill, one girl, one conversation at a time.

By Cinderella Anena