It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya
Recent attention has been drawn to possible linkages between poor sanitation in sub-Saharan African schools and low attendance rates amongst post-pubescent girls. In particular, questions have been raised about the influence of menstruation and access to sanitary products on schoolgirl absenteeism b...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2014
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27757/ |
| _version_ | 1848793430729162752 |
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| author | Jewitt, Sarah Ryley, Harriet |
| author_facet | Jewitt, Sarah Ryley, Harriet |
| author_sort | Jewitt, Sarah |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Recent attention has been drawn to possible linkages between poor sanitation in sub-Saharan African schools and low attendance rates amongst post-pubescent girls. In particular, questions have been raised about the influence of menstruation and access to sanitary products on schoolgirl absenteeism but research on this topic is scarce. Moreover, the few detailed empirical studies that have been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa on this topic have produced contradictory results. These uncertainties coupled with theories of how concepts of pollution and taboo are used to construct or police spatial boundaries (and maintain power relations within society) provide an interesting context for examining everyday geographies of menstruation. Kisumu, Kenya provides the context for the study which utilises a feminist political ecology framework to investigate cultural and spatial limitations associated with menstruation and puberty. Drawing on schoolgirls’ lived experiences, we illustrate how emotional geographies of puberty and menstruation are productive of and help to reproduce gender inequalities in mobility and access to social capital resources (especially education). At the same time we show how poverty coupled with low levels of sexual and reproductive health and rights education can exacerbate gendered bodily inequalities as girls face an increased risk of sexual exploitation when they reach puberty. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:00:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-27757 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:00:11Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-277572020-05-04T20:13:43Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27757/ It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya Jewitt, Sarah Ryley, Harriet Recent attention has been drawn to possible linkages between poor sanitation in sub-Saharan African schools and low attendance rates amongst post-pubescent girls. In particular, questions have been raised about the influence of menstruation and access to sanitary products on schoolgirl absenteeism but research on this topic is scarce. Moreover, the few detailed empirical studies that have been conducted in sub-Saharan Africa on this topic have produced contradictory results. These uncertainties coupled with theories of how concepts of pollution and taboo are used to construct or police spatial boundaries (and maintain power relations within society) provide an interesting context for examining everyday geographies of menstruation. Kisumu, Kenya provides the context for the study which utilises a feminist political ecology framework to investigate cultural and spatial limitations associated with menstruation and puberty. Drawing on schoolgirls’ lived experiences, we illustrate how emotional geographies of puberty and menstruation are productive of and help to reproduce gender inequalities in mobility and access to social capital resources (especially education). At the same time we show how poverty coupled with low levels of sexual and reproductive health and rights education can exacerbate gendered bodily inequalities as girls face an increased risk of sexual exploitation when they reach puberty. Elsevier 2014-08 Article PeerReviewed Jewitt, Sarah and Ryley, Harriet (2014) It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya. Geoforum, 56 . pp. 137-147. ISSN 0016-7185 Kisumu Kenya education menstruation puberty sanitary towels feminist political ecology http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016718514001638 doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.07.006 doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.07.006 |
| spellingShingle | Kisumu Kenya education menstruation puberty sanitary towels feminist political ecology Jewitt, Sarah Ryley, Harriet It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya |
| title | It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya |
| title_full | It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya |
| title_fullStr | It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya |
| title_short | It’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya |
| title_sort | it’s a girl thing: menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in kenya |
| topic | Kisumu Kenya education menstruation puberty sanitary towels feminist political ecology |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27757/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27757/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27757/ |