5. Conclusion
The findings of this impact study of the World Vision B4G project enable us to assess the effects of the project on early adolescent girls and boys, and on adult beneficiaries. The project was designed to provide education about female menstrual issues and more general sexual and reproductive health. Its key objectives are to strengthen the rights of girls, promote gender norms, and improve MHM knowledge and practices. While the project focuses on early adolescent girls, efforts were made to also involve boys, parents, and teachers, with the aim of creating a supportive environment for girls. The implementation of the project was limited somewhat due to the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting school lockdowns, meaning some project activities were delayed. Despite these setbacks, the project showed evidence of success. In reflecting on the B4G project, this study answers a series of evaluation questions and draw the following conclusions: To what extent did participation in the B4G project lead to improvements in girls’ knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding MHM? Domain
Impact
Knowledge of MHM
A small positive impact, not statistically significant
Attitude toward menstruation
A large positive impact, statistically significant
Attitude toward negative cultural beliefs
A small positive impact, not statistically significant
MHM practices
A large positive impact, statistically significant
Girls who participated in the project showed an overall improvement in knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding MHM. Negative attitudes toward menstruation were significantly reduced after the project. MHM practices, including frequency of sanitary pad use, type of pad used, and pad condition, also improved. Knowledge of menstruation improved, though not at a statistically significant level.
37