Keeping young girls in school
Research has shown that girls in the developing world can be absent from school for four days a month due to their periods.
To address this worrying issue of the high school dropout rates among girls, P&G initiated the Always Keeping Girls in School Programme in 2006 in order to regularly distribute sanitary towels to girls from underprivileged areas around the world.
Aware of the fact that the mere donation of feminine hygiene products was not going to adequately resolve this problem, P&G ensured that a large part of the Always Keeping Girls in School Programme also focuses on empowering these young girls. Therefore, young female mentors meet weekly with the girls and educate them about health issues, particularly puberty hygiene, how to take care of themselves, as well as about their human rights.
P&G believes building the self-esteem of these teenagers is also a key priority of this programme, as the uncertainty that comes with puberty can erode their confidence. Providing girls with support, accurate knowledge and confidence empowers them to make better decisions, now and for their future.
As a conservative estimate, every adolescent that the Always Keeping Girls in School Programme reaches will impact on an additional five girls and women as the female learners grow in confidence and become eager to share their knowledge. It is important that women older than 20 are also educated, so that they can pass on the information to their daughters and have a better understanding of why education is so important for girls.
In South Africa alone, P&G reached over 300 000 school girls last year through the Always Keeping Girls in School Programme.
