Period Parhao: Integrate Menstrual Health Education into Pakistan’s School Curriculum
Period Parhao: Integrate Menstrual Health Education into Pakistan’s School Curriculum
The Issue
THE ISSUE:
Menstrual education is essential health knowledge, not a luxury. Silence, stigma, and misinformation continue to cost adolescents their health, education, and dignity. It’s time to address this at a structural level.
THE CONTEXT:
Menstruating students across Pakistan struggle with feelings of shame, anxiety and stigma regarding their menstrual health due to a lack of information. UNICEF (2022) reports that one of the most prevalent yet underreported reasons affecting girls’ education in LMIC is school absenteeism due to their monthly cycles.
DASTAK Foundation reported a staggering 49 percent of girls experience their first period without any prior knowledge of this biological phenomenon, which means that nearly half are caught off-guard regarding their period. Silence, stigma, and misinformation are costing adolescents their health, education, and dignity. It’s time to address this at a structural level.
THE WAY FORWARD:
We are calling on parents, educators, health advocates, community leaders, and policymakers across Pakistan to join hands for Period Parhao and support the integration of mandatory, age-appropriate, and culturally grounded menstrual health education into the national school curricula. This education must be delivered in an open, sensitive, and stigma-free manner, with educators appropriately trained to provide such spaces.
The impacts of menstrual health education extend far beyond school years. Accurate information equips individuals with lifelong knowledge, enabling them to access care without shame, make informed decisions about their bodies, and advocate for their own well-being.
The continued silence around periods is costing menstruators their health, education, and dignity. Teaching periods isn’t radical, but ignoring them is.
About Us
Farq Parhta Hai is a youth-led initiative working to advance social awareness and positive change in Pakistan. Through research, digital campaigns, and community engagement, we work on the intersection of mental health, gender equity, and climate to provide evidence-based information and actionable solutions.
Get in touch with us:
You can read more about our work here.
1,377
The Issue
THE ISSUE:
Menstrual education is essential health knowledge, not a luxury. Silence, stigma, and misinformation continue to cost adolescents their health, education, and dignity. It’s time to address this at a structural level.
THE CONTEXT:
Menstruating students across Pakistan struggle with feelings of shame, anxiety and stigma regarding their menstrual health due to a lack of information. UNICEF (2022) reports that one of the most prevalent yet underreported reasons affecting girls’ education in LMIC is school absenteeism due to their monthly cycles.
DASTAK Foundation reported a staggering 49 percent of girls experience their first period without any prior knowledge of this biological phenomenon, which means that nearly half are caught off-guard regarding their period. Silence, stigma, and misinformation are costing adolescents their health, education, and dignity. It’s time to address this at a structural level.
THE WAY FORWARD:
We are calling on parents, educators, health advocates, community leaders, and policymakers across Pakistan to join hands for Period Parhao and support the integration of mandatory, age-appropriate, and culturally grounded menstrual health education into the national school curricula. This education must be delivered in an open, sensitive, and stigma-free manner, with educators appropriately trained to provide such spaces.
The impacts of menstrual health education extend far beyond school years. Accurate information equips individuals with lifelong knowledge, enabling them to access care without shame, make informed decisions about their bodies, and advocate for their own well-being.
The continued silence around periods is costing menstruators their health, education, and dignity. Teaching periods isn’t radical, but ignoring them is.
About Us
Farq Parhta Hai is a youth-led initiative working to advance social awareness and positive change in Pakistan. Through research, digital campaigns, and community engagement, we work on the intersection of mental health, gender equity, and climate to provide evidence-based information and actionable solutions.
Get in touch with us:
You can read more about our work here.
1,377
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Petition created on 23 January 2026