Jared Koli
How Menstrual Hygiene Education is keeping Girls in School
While some girls paddle canoes to school, others make their way on foot, walking along the coast and through thick bushes. For all of them, this journey is a part of daily life. But waiting at the end of it is another challenge—one that’s not as visible as the path they travel.
When the girls get their period, they turn their canoes around and head back home. They have no choice. There are no toilets at school, no safe place to clean up, no soap, and no one to offer support. Many feel embarrassed or ashamed.
Teachers, especially male teachers, don’t know how to talk about menstruation or how to help. So, when their period comes, girls miss days of school or stop going altogether.
But thanks to Ellice Mataki, a Provincial Education Provider and a dedicated trainer in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools (WinS) programme. With support from UNICEF and the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), this is starting to change.
The Movement for Change
Ellice has been working with teachers and schools in Central Islands Province to break the silence around menstruation and to teach the importance of menstrual hygiene.
“In our culture, menstruation has always been a taboo subject, even male teachers were uncomfortable talking about it,” Ellice recalls. “But through training and awareness, that is changing. Now, schools in Central Islands Province are learning to treat Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) as a vital part of education, not something to be ignored.”
In October 2024, Ellice led training sessions for school boards, principals and teachers—many of whom were engaging with the topic for the first time.
“We gave male teachers a simple activity to define menstruation. You could see the discomfort as it’s not something they’ve ever been asked. But by the end of the training, they understood just how important it is,” she recalls.
While Ellice leads education and awareness efforts around menstrual hygiene, change is also quietly unfolding across 26 schools in the province with the construction of essential WASH facilities, which will benefit more than 4,900 school children and their teachers in the 26 targeted schools, stretching from Ngella islands to Savo island.
The project targets girls and female teachers who, until recently, faced daily barriers to safety, dignity, and education. Lack of menstrual hygiene facilities and awareness forced girls to skip school or drop out altogether.
“The MHM education and the construction of WASH project facilities are changing that,” says Ellice.
Through her sessions, Ellice helped school management teams develop budgeted WASH in Schools improvement plans that include MHM indicators — such as the provision of menstrual kits, awareness education, and safe facilities.
For McMahon Community High School Deputy Principal Silas Panaa, the new facility is a blessing to the school, especially for schoolgirls.
“I see this initiative as providing easy way for girls to access support during their menstrual period. In the past, when girls would come and ask for sick leave, we couldn’t ask them what illness they were experiencing because we already knew. We thought about this, but the school administration also struggled to address it due to a lack of funding. But when UNICEF and DFAT stepped in, we were very happy because it directly solved the problems girls face."
“You know, when I visited the new facility, I asked the construction workers, why didn’t they put a toilet in one of the rooms’ and they said, ‘This is meant for girls when they have their sick days.'"
The newly built ablution blocks now include running water, private showers, changing rooms, and essential menstrual hygiene supplies. These upgrades ensure that girls can manage their periods safely, with dignity and continue their education without fear or shame.
According to Ellice, they also emphasized the importance of schools having WASH Clubs.
These clubs will lead awareness campaigns and ensure girls and boys understand what menstrual hygiene means and how it affects learning.
Already, the results are clear. Improved student attendance, reduced stigma, and a growing sense of confidence among girls.
“When girls manage their menstruation in a hygienic way, they stay healthy. When they stay healthy, they remain in school — and when they stay in school, their academic performance improves,” says Ellice.
A Shared Vision Realised
With bold leadership, the right investment, and a strong partnership, what was once unspoken is now the foundation for brighter futures.
“I’m proud that Central Islands Province is the second after Guadalcanal to receive this support. The impact is already visible. Communities and teachers are better prepared, and girls are more aware of the importance of menstrual hygiene,” says Ellice.
“What I hope to see is a significant reduction in open defecation, which currently stands at 90.1% in our province,” she adds.
For schoolgirls in Central Islands Province, the journey to school by canoe is still long. But now, when they arrive, they know there will be a clean, private place for them. They know that their teachers and classmates will understand and support them. They know they can stay in school, no matter what time of the month it is.