Resources / Menstruation, Sanitary Products and School Attendance: Evidence from a Randomized Evaluation

Summary

Increasing female education is an important policy priority in many developing countries. Girls lag behind boys in schooling attainment, and female schooling is thought to be important for a variety of development outcomes.  A number of researchers and policy-makers have argued the importance of menstruation in limiting school attendance and attainment. In response, a number of NGOs and sanitary product manufacturers have begun campaigns to increase availability of sanitary products, with a stated goal of improving school attendance.

In this paper the authors provide evidence on (1) how much school girls actually miss during their periods and (2) the causal effect of introducing menstrual cups on school attendance.