The 2023/2024 Performance Report for Water highlights that inadequate sanitation facilities significantly contribute to dropout rates among adolescent girls in schools, particularly in hard-to-reach areas where facilities are often insufficient or nonexistent.
According to the report, many adolescent girls face significant challenges due to poor sanitation and hygiene conditions, with facilities often being inadequate or entirely absent.
The 2023/2024 Education Statistics Report provides further insight into the state of sanitation facilities in schools. According to the report, a total of 4,412 primary schools out of 7,117 have change rooms for girls in the country.
In secondary schools, 1,783 schools have change rooms out of a total of 1,916. This disparity highlights the need for improved sanitation infrastructure to support girls’ education.
Despite these challenges, the report indicates that Malawi is making strides in achieving access to menstrual hygiene management (MHM) services both at school and household levels.
According to the Multiple Cluster Indicator Survey of 2020, 91% of women have appropriate materials with a private place to change and wash at home.
This progress suggests that efforts to improve menstrual hygiene management are yielding positive results, and there is hope for further improvement in the future.
In his remarks, one of the menstrual hygiene management activists Asayire Kapira said
“While Malawi has made progress in improving access to MHM services, with 91% of women having suitable materials and private spaces at home, there is still much work to be done, particularly in schools.”
He said, to further improve MHM in Malawi, there is need more research on women’s use of sanitation facilities for menstrual management and the disposal of menstrual materials.
“Additionally, MHM-specific indicators are necessary to capture menstrual needs and progress accurately,” he said
