Dioro Cissé | October 25, 2024
News Brief
In Ségou, Mali, Hadizatou Coulibaly is a ninth-grade student at the local school for the hearing impaired, where she leads sessions on menstrual hygiene for her peers. Every Friday, she educates deaf-mute girls on effective menstrual management, addressing gaps in traditional education that often leave them uninformed and vulnerable. Miss Coulibaly's initiative, supported by the NGO Association Malienne pour la Protection et la Promotion de la Famille, has helped reduce school dropouts during menstruation. Miss Coulibaly says, "I decided to raise awareness among my friends so that they can improve their hygiene and stay in class even during menstruation."
It’s 3 p.m. on a Friday in Ségou, central Mali. The courtyard of the school for the hearing impaired buzzes with energy, punctuated by bursts of applause. At the center of the courtyard, a crowd has gathered around Hadizatou Coulibaly, a hearing-impaired ninth-grade student at Ségou’s school for the deaf-mute. Miss Coulibaly holds up a sanitary pad, demonstrating to the other girls how to manage their menstrual hygiene effectively.
Miss Coulibaly educates her peers on menstrual hygiene, sharing vital information to improve their sexual and reproductive health.
She points out that traditional approaches to menstrual education in schools are not tailored to the needs of the deaf-mute community. As a result, many girls lack crucial knowledge, leading some to drop out during their menstrual cycles, while others suffer from infections. She says, “With sign language, we understand the messages better. We are neither afraid nor ashamed to ask each other clarifying questions.”
Two years ago, Miss Coulibaly received extensive training on sexual and reproductive health through the NGO Association Malienne pour la Protection et la Promotion de la Famille. The NGO provides training in sexual and reproductive health for vulnerable groups, including the deaf and hard of hearing, as well as persons living with disabilities. During these sessions, she gained valuable knowledge on proper menstrual management techniques.
Miss Coulibaly presented her awareness-raising initiative to the school administration, which approved her plan to lead informational sessions for deaf-mute students every Friday after classes. To ensure attendance, she visits each classroom in the morning to inform students about the upcoming sessions. She says, “I decided to raise awareness among my friends so that they can improve their hygiene and stay in class even during menstruation.”
She explains that the awareness sessions are conducted in sign language to ensure the students’ understanding. The sessions cover essential menstrual management techniques, including how to use pads, appropriate behavior during menstruation, signs of an impending period, and how to handle discomfort and behavioral changes associated with menstruation. She says, “During awareness sessions, we also tell them that periods are not dirty, but rather a natural phenomenon in women.” They should not feel ashamed but, on the contrary, should be proud of their bodies.
Aliou Maiga, the school director, highlights that deaf-mute girls had previously lacked access to targeted awareness sessions on menstrual management. He notes that the school values Miss Coulibaly’s efforts and supports her work by regularly distributing sanitary pads to the deaf-mute girls. Mr. Maiga says, “Last year, 12 girls dropped out of school.” Thanks to Miss. Coulibaly’s awareness efforts, the girls have adopted healthier practices and now continue attending classes even during their menstrual periods.
Massitan Sangaré, a deaf-mute student at the hearing-impaired school in Ségou, participates in the menstrual hygiene awareness sessions. She says it has changed her life. She says, “Before, when my period started, I would drop out of school because I didn’t know what to do.” With the weekly sessions, she has learned to recognize the signs of menstruation and how to use a sanitary pad. Miss Sangaré has also been taught to wash her sanitary pads and dry them in the sun to prevent infections.
Assitan Keita is a midwife at the community health center in Pelengana, Ségou. She explains that the menstrual cycle spans from the first day of one period to the first day of the next. This cycle prepares the body for a potential pregnancy and typically lasts about 28 days, though it can range from 21 to 35 days depending on the individual. It begins at puberty and continues until menopause. Ms. Keita also notes that common menstrual symptoms include back pain, abdominal cramps, and fatigue both before and during the period.
Ms. Keita believes that providing accurate information can help prevent unwanted pregnancies and infections. She advocates for training schools, teachers, and parents to offer psychological support to girls during menstruation, which is crucial for managing both the emotional and physical aspects of the menstrual cycle.
Miss Coulibaly is proud to contribute to the health of her peers. She says, “Raising awareness remains the only way to break the taboo surrounding menstruation in society, and I won’t stop.”
This resource was produced through the “HÉRÈ – Women’s Well-Being in Mali” initiative, which aims to improve the sexual and reproductive health well-being of women and girls and to strengthen the prevention of and response to gender-based violence in Sikasso, Ségou, Mopti, and the district of Bamako in Mali. The project is implemented by the HÉRÈ – MSI Mali Consortium, in partnership with Farm Radio International (RRI) and Women in Law and Development in Africa (WiLDAF) with funding from Global Affairs Canada.
Photo: Miss Coulibaly holding a meeting with her peers to teach them about managing menstruation, Mali, 2024. Photo by Dioro Cissé.