Menstruación y escuela. Desafíos y oportunidades para una cooperación al desarrollo feminista.

Abstract

In the first decade of the 21st century, the first projects focusing on menstrual hygiene were developed with the aim of reducing girls' absenteeism from school. These projects were based on a representation of girls as precarious menstruating bodies, (re)constructing Western expectations of normality for the female body. Furthermore, by focusing on hygiene management, these interventions tend to reinforce the idea of the female body as dirty and to be managed in the private sphere. The proposed approach thus responds to and sometimes reinforces gender norms, contributing to the production of docile a-menstrual bodies.
In Santa Rosa de Copán, the school is also recognized as an ideal place to improve knowledge about menstruation because of its wide reach. However, information on the subject is inadequate and does not correspond to existing policies. Furthermore, a traditional view persists that associates menstruation exclusively with the female body and sexual reproduction. The sexual division that is taught serves as a device of gendering the body, perpetuating cultural practices and social norms that justify gender inequality. In this context, the participants have shown an interest in receiving support from the cooperation sector. Thus, it is possible to assume a strategic authority to accompany the agency of local women (and others) in leading change.