As the idea of menstrual leave catches on in Europe, a new survey reveals that many young French women regularly miss middle school or high school because of their periods.
- The first periods appear with puberty, generally between the ages of 10 and 16.
- The start of a menstrual cycle is marked by the 1st day of menstruation and ends on the 1st day of subsequent menstruation.
1 in 2 French girls have already missed school because of their periods, according to a new study conducted by the NGO Plan International France with OpinionWay.
A taboo subject
In France, more than half of girls (55%) also consider that periods remain a taboo subject at school: more than a third are ashamed of having them (35%).
“The stereotypes and prejudices linked to menstruation considerably reinforce gender discrimination: 35% of the teenage girls surveyed admit that they or someone close to them has already suffered teasing and humiliation in school”, also details the NGO. “Lack of knowledge on the subject remains considerable: half of the girls questioned (49%) believe that people still consider periods to be “dirty””, deplore the activists.
Complete cessation of schooling
Girls in developing countries miss an average of 5 days of school every month because of their periods. In India, for example, more than three-quarters of young women cannot go to class when they are menstruating. In Uganda, Indonesia or Bangladesh, puberty often even marks the total cessation of schooling.
“This brutal school drop-out poses a significant threat to girls’ rights, through child marriage, early pregnancy, domestic work and exploitation,” Plan International France alert.
