Girls in Control is SNV's pilot approach to solving the problem of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) amongst schoolgirls in rural and peri-urban areas of Ethiopia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

We believe that girls' educational performance can be directly improved through better menstrual hygiene management in their schools. Girls in Control is a comprehensive package, concentrating on provision of appropriate, girl-friendly water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools, timely information about MHM and improved access to sanitary materials. Girls in Control targets 25 districts and 490 schools across the five countries.

The cost of womanhood

On any given day, more than 800 million women worldwide are menstruating. But despite menstruation’s central role in womanhood, deep-rooted taboos, a lack of education and poor hygiene facilities in developing countries cause many women to suffer shame, embarrassment and social exclusion around their monthly period.

Breaking the silence

At SNV, we believe good menstrual hygiene management plays a fundamental role in enabling women and girls to reach their full potential. We aim to break down taboos around menstruation and ensure menstrual health is firmly on the agenda of education policy makers and resource allocators, creating a world in which every woman and girl can manage her menstruation in a hygienic way – in privacy, safety and with dignity.