In order to push for gender justice and youth empowerment, students and youth advocates from across Liberia gathered in Peace Island Community on Thursday to demand concrete policy reforms that prioritize menstrual health, break stigma, and protect the rights of adolescent girls.
The community engagement program, organized by Action Against Sexual Gender-Based Violence in partnership with Liberian Youth Voices for Accelerating the ICPD and supported by UNFPA Liberia, was held at Peace Island Inland Academy. It marked a joint observance of International Menstrual Hygiene Day and Day of the African Child under the rallying call: “Menstruation Is Not a Stigma—It’s a Right.”
Although Menstrual Hygiene Day is officially celebrated on May 28, organizers intentionally postponed the event to June 13 to amplify youth voices and sustain momentum around the urgent need for inclusive policies and practical interventions to support menstrual health in schools and communities.
Karnia S. Dahn, Assistant Program Manager of Big Sisters, an affiliate of the Liberian Youth Voices, delivered a passionate appeal for comprehensive menstrual health education and access to dignity kits for girls.
“Menstrual Hygiene Day is more than a date; it is a movement,” said Ms. Dahn. “We are advocating for inclusive education that breaks the myths surrounding menstruation. Our girls, boys, mothers, aunts, and even our male counterparts must understand that menstruation is not a stigma—it is a fundamental right.”
Ms. Dahn urged students to serve as ambassadors of change, challenging stereotypes and ignorance in their homes and communities. She emphasized that menstruation should never become a barrier to education or basic services.
“Just as it is my right to attend school and access clean water and healthcare, it is also my right to bleed—and to do so with dignity,” she declared.
Her remarks resonated with dozens of students in attendance, who nodded in agreement and shared stories of challenges they or their peers face due to lack of sanitary products and inadequate facilities in schools.
UNFPA Programme Associate, Mr. Felix F. Foyah, praised the collaboration and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to advancing the sexual and reproductive health rights of adolescents.
“This is the right time to provide advocacy and awareness to our adolescents,” Mr. Foyah noted. “Events like these ensure that they are not strangers to their rights and responsibilities.”
He encouraged students to carry the messages of awareness, dignity, and advocacy back to their homes and communities.
“UNFPA remains committed to ensuring that the voices of young people are heard and their rights upheld,” he added.
Participants and organizers called on the Liberian government, especially the Ministries of Education, Gender, and Health, to move beyond symbolic observances and institutionalize menstrual health programs across the country.
Among the key demands are the distribution of free sanitary pads in public schools, menstrual hygiene education in school curricula, improved access to safe water and sanitation, and nationwide campaigns to dismantle taboos and gender stereotypes.
Several students, speaking during interactive sessions, shared the shame and exclusion some girls still experience during their menstrual periods, with many staying home from school due to lack of menstrual products or fear of teasing.
The event brought together more than a dozen youth-led groups under the umbrella of the Liberian Youth Voices for Accelerating the ICPD, a 40-member coalition supported by UNFPA. These organizations are united in their mission to promote sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, and youth development across Liberia.
“We don’t just want an annual celebration,” one participant said. “We want government policies that make menstrual health a priority in every county, every school, and every home.”
Participants urged UNFPA and other development partners to decentralize similar events and programs into rural districts and counties to ensure nationwide impact.
“We need these awareness campaigns in Bong, Grand Kru, Nimba, and Rivercess,” one student said. “Girls everywhere deserve to know their rights and access the resources to manage their periods safely.”
Thursday’s event on Peace Island was more than just a celebration—it was a declaration. Liberia’s young people are speaking with clarity and courage: Menstruation is not a stigma. It is a matter of dignity, health, and rights. Now, they are calling on policymakers to listen—and to act.
