SARAH MCCABE, MASTER OF ARTS, ADULT LEARNING AND EDUCATION
EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF MENSTRUATION AMONG WOMEN LIVING IN CENTRAL UGANDA
Supervisor(s): Dr. Shauna Buttterwick, EDST, UBC; Dr. Jude Walker, EDST, UBC
Friday, December 14, 2018 | 1:30pm | Ponderosa Commons Oak House, Multipurpose Room (PCOH 2012)
ABSTRACT
This research amplifies the voices of ten Ugandan women as they speak to their experiences of menstruation and menstruation education. This study involved the use of a feminist standpoint lens to analyze interviews undertaken with ten Ugandan women. Through the use of an asset-based approach to the data analysis revealed the strategies, complexities and challenges the research participants have encountered in relation to their experiences of menstruation. This study revealed that the participants’ knowledge of menstruation when they were girls exists along a spectrum and that that their knowledge and understanding about menstruation varied from person to person. Among these ten women, the study also found a spectrum of experiences in relation to their feeling prepared. Interestingly, some of the participants, while having some knowledge of menstruation, still felt unprepared when the event occurred for the first time. Relationships between menstruation and its effects on everyday life were also explored. A key finding in this study was that the impact of menstruation on their daily lives included being unprepared, dealing with pain, teasing and bullying, and having assumptions made about their sexual activity. However, menstruation was not a key factor that led to them missing school; this finding stands in contrast to other studies pointing to how most young women miss school because of menstruation. What were influential factors on school attainment, for the research participants, included pregnancy and insufficient funds to pay school fees. In relation to menstruation education, this study found that these young women learned from many sources including family, friends, peers and teachers. This information can inform future research and educational programs pertaining to menstrual health in Uganda that preserves the dignity and diversity of Ugandan women and girls. A key recommendation is to ensure menstruation education in schools is timely and grounded in an approach that enables girls to learn about menstruation holistically.
