Educating for Menstrual Equity in Cambodia

Dear GlobalGiving Community,

Because of your generous support, menstrual health education is reaching more classrooms across Cambodia than ever before. Since launching our partnership with Cambodia’s Ministry of Youth, Education, and Sport (MoEYS) in 2019, this initiative has grown into a powerful nationwide program, equipping teachers with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to deliver culturally relevant, age-appropriate lessons on puberty and menstrual health to both girls and boys.

In 2025, Days for Girls trained 316 teachers and trainee teachers in Ratanakiri province and Phnom Penh, exceeding our goal of 200. These educators reached 7,141 students with menstrual health education, surpassing our goal of 7,000. In addition, 3,776 locally made Days for Girls Kits were distributed to female students and teachers, ensuring that education is paired with practical tools for managing menstruation with dignity.

Our monitoring, learning, and evaluation results show significant growth in both knowledge and confidence. In Ratanakiri, understanding of key reproductive health concepts increased from 28% to 97%, while Phnom Penh saw gains from 67% to 100%. Teachers’ confidence in delivering menstrual health lessons rose from 50% to 97% in Ratanakiri and from 43% to 99% in Phnom Penh. Teachers’ confidence in answering students’ questions increased to nearly universal levels in both locations.

These shifts are changing classrooms. One female teacher shared, “I feel more confident addressing menstrual health issues in the classroom. I always inform the male students that it's important for them to learn so they can support the women and girls in their lives.” A male teacher reflected, “Previously, I didn’t dare to talk about this topic in public. Now, I am confident in explaining it to my students. We don’t have to be shy about talking about it openly.”

Students are experiencing this change as well. A female student reported that boys no longer laugh or tease girls during menstruation after participating in the lessons. A male student shared that he spoke with his younger sister about her period for the first time because of what he learned.

This year also marked a major milestone: surpassing all three-year national goals for 2023-2025. Over that period, 658 teachers were trained, 15,389 students were reached, and 8,350 Kits were distributed, exceeding every target. As a result, Days for Girls has signed a new three-year Memorandum of Understanding with MoEYS for 2026-2028 to continue expanding this work.

Preparations for the next phase are already underway, including in-country Kit production and teacher training planning, with implementation beginning in late March.

Thank you for helping create classrooms across Cambodia where menstrual health is understood, stigma is reduced, and students can learn with dignity and confidence.

With deep gratitude,

The Days for Girls Team

• PDF Report (PDF)