Vientiane: The event drew attention to the challenges many girls face during menstruation and highlighted the importance of collective action to address menstrual poverty.
According to Lao News Agency, the event was held under the message ‘Support Menstrual Health and Education – Help Girls Stay in School!’ and included inspiring talks, the collection of pad donations, and interactive activities to raise awareness and mobilize support for girls and women in vulnerable communities. The initiative also encouraged open and respectful dialogue around menstruation, privacy, health, and the role of families, schools, healthcare providers, businesses, and communities in ensuring that no girl is left behind.
Menstrual health is not only a health issue; it is closely linked to education, dignity, confidence, and equal opportunity. When girls lack access to menstrual products, accurate information, safe sanitation, and supportive environments, their ability to learn, participate, and thrive is affected. By addressing these barriers, Lao PDR can help create conditions in which girls can remain in school and realize their full potential.
The event also echoed a critical message featured in the campaign materials: nearly one in ten girls in Laos miss school or other daily activities during their period. This reality underscores the urgent need for stronger awareness, improved access to menstrual supplies, and a greater collective commitment to menstrual health as a matter of rights, inclusion, and development.
Dr. Bakhtiyor Kadyrov, UNFPA Representative in the Lao PDR, emphasized that menstrual health is a strategic investment in human dignity, gender equality, education, and the full participation of girls and women in society. He pointed out that when a girl misses school due to inadequate support, information, or supplies to manage her period safely and with dignity, the country is limiting its potential. Through the partnership with ALBA, efforts are being made to break the silence, challenge stigma, and provide practical solutions to ensure that every girl and woman can thrive, contribute, and claim her rights.
Jacqueline Spence, President of ALBA, expressed pride in standing with UNFPA and partners to support girls and women through this initiative. She emphasized that menstrual health should never be a barrier to education or opportunity and highlighted the private sector’s role in advancing dignity, awareness, and practical support for communities.
Spence added that every registration for the event would help purchase one menstrual kit, all of which will be distributed to vulnerable girls in the coming weeks. She called on all partners to join and contribute beyond the event.
Through this collaboration, UNFPA and ALBA reaffirm their shared commitment to advancing the rights of women and girls and to building partnerships that respond to real needs in communities. The event demonstrated how joint action can help challenge harmful taboos, promote menstrual health literacy, and provide practical support that enables girls to continue their education.
UNFPA remains committed to working with government, civil society, communities, and the private sector to ensure that girls and women in the Lao PDR can manage menstruation safely, confidently, and with dignity.