Those Days' Are Menstruation: promotion of tolerance and understanding among teens

Summary

On Menstrual Hygiene Day, UNICEF announced the launch of an educational campaign aimed at teaching teens of basics menstrual hygiene and promoting understanding and healthy attitudes to this topic. Teens in Ukraine face with low tolerance and even bullying due to lack of knowledge on it. Society stigma among adults makes it even harder for teens to develop healthy attitude towards body and menstruation hygiene. In colloquial language instead of 'menstruation' or 'periods' appeared a bunch of euphemisms, like 'critical days', 'that days', 'red dates of a calendar', 'special days'... To appeal to our audience in a proper way we launched YouTube 'M channel' to provide friendly educational videos, explaining menstruation related topics in a simple and fun way, as teens used to get information. This is not a girls only stuff: it is open and useful for all sexes. Digital influencers became hosts of M-Channel: Ukrainian pop-singer, the actors of highly popular teens series 'School' and teen YouTube blogger were very vocal in their communication with youngsters via Youtube on menstrual hygiene. Teacher's Guide based on M-Channel content were developed and disseminated among teachers via Training of Trainers session. To deliver information to teens we arranged ToT session for teachers from all over Ukraine with the followed contest on 'The Most Open Lesson on menstrual hygiene' and a public-talk features UNICEF Honored Friend as a reward for the best lesson.

Background/Objectives

According to U-report survey in Ukraine, almost every second girl doesn't know what she can and can't do during menstruation. One in two girls have been ridiculed or teased because of their periods and 15% were mocked for blood stains on their clothes. Moreover, 91 % girls and 74 % of boys think that they should receive more information about menstruation and would like to get it during the school' lessons. The goal of the campaign is to disseminate knowledge and smart attitudes about menstrual hygiene and this natural aspect of women's health.

Results/Lessons Learned

Campaign reached more then 400,000 young users from all over Ukraine; 50 teachers attended session and were encouraged to take part in the contest for the The Most Open Lesson and to host UNICEF' Honored Friend on this campaign. Around 50 schools take part in contest, using Teacher's Guide and all developed materials for this campaign Public Talk on menstrual hygiene was held in the East Ukraine' school close to the contact line, around 500 children took part in Public talk. Guide will be included to curriculum

Discussion/Implications For The Field

Menstruation should not prevent girls from going to school, exercising their rights and fulfilling their potential. Without the correct information, girls often do not know how to maintain hygiene and behave during their periods in a way that is safe for their health, and they can be teased and bullied by their peers. However, boys also lack knowledge about menstruation. We launched the Menstrual Hygiene campaign to change this that was supported by young opinion leaders for boys and girls in Ukraine

Abstract submitted by:

TETIANA KAZANZHY - UNICEF