“I didn’t know that other girls around the world have their periods. I thought it was only me.”
For one young Rohingya girl in Kutupalong Refugee Camp, learning this simple fact was life-changing.
Like many adolescent girls living in refugee camps, she had limited access to information about puberty, menstruation, hygiene, and women’s health. Questions often went unanswered, and misconceptions could create unnecessary fear and anxiety.
To address this need, GCE-US member Books Unbound developed For the Girls, a culturally sensitive women’s health education program created alongside Rohingya community members in Kutupalong, Bangladesh. Books Unbound is an organization that develops educational resources for displaced and underserved communities around the world, including literacy materials, picture dictionaries, teacher guides, and health programs.
Through For the Girls, adolescent girls gather in a safe environment to learn, ask questions, and discuss topics that are often difficult to address elsewhere.
One of the most common themes to emerge from participant feedback is the relief that comes from realizing they are not alone. As one facilitator explained, “Most of the students didn’t know about menstrual pads and girls around the world. They didn’t know that every girl has a period. They are happy to know that a period is normal around the world.”
The program also creates opportunities for girls to build community with one another. Participants regularly describe enjoying the opportunity to come together, learn in a group setting, and discuss female-sensitive topics that are rarely talked about openly. These conversations help foster trust, friendship, and mutual support among girls facing similar challenges.
This sense of community is especially important given the limited educational opportunities available to many adolescent girls. In a program survey, 75% of participants reported that they were not attending school or studying at all. One participant explained, “Most girls get married now like me as no study opportunity and no training. I was married forcibly when I was 16 years old during the pandemic.” For many girls, For the Girls provides a rare opportunity to continue learning in a supportive environment after leaving formal education.
The curriculum extends beyond menstruation and hygiene. The For the Girls book is structured around the five stages of womanhood—infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and seniorhood—helping participants understand how women’s health needs change throughout life. Each stage explores age-appropriate topics related to nutrition, movement and physical activity, emotional wellbeing, and the importance of supportive relationships and community. One participant reflected on how her perspective changed through the program, sharing, “I thought only boys can do exercise. I didn’t know the importance of exercise.”
A key reason for the program’s strong engagement has been its cultural relevance. Developed with Rohingya community input, the book includes Rohingya language and culturally familiar illustrations and examples. For many participants, it was the first time they had ever seen their language and culture represented in a published resource. As one girl shared, “I never saw any book with our language and culture. I thought our language is not written anywhere. I felt happy to see our culture in this book.” By including written Rohingya, the program not only supports health education but also contributes to language preservation and literacy.
Another important component of For the Girls is raising awareness about the risks associated with child marriage. Through discussions with participants and their families, the program encourages conversations about girls’ health, education, and long-term wellbeing. Parents who have engaged with the program have expressed appreciation for the information being shared and the awareness it brings to these important issues.
For many girls, the program offers something simple but powerful: knowledge. One participant described experiencing her first period without understanding what was happening. “My period started a few months ago,” she shared. “Before my period I didn’t have an idea about it. So, I was thinking and was scared and shy to share with anyone. I thought it was a serious disease.” Reflecting on her experience, she added, “I think every girl should know about periods prior to their first period and using pads. I hope Books Unbound will support all the girls to get this program.”
Today, the impact of For the Girls is reaching beyond Bangladesh. What began with Rohingya girls in Kutupalong has grown into a broader effort to provide culturally relevant women’s health education for displaced communities around the world. Building on the success of the Rohingya program, Books Unbound also developed an Afghan edition of For the Girls, adapted to reflect the language, culture, and experiences of Afghan girls and women.
These resources are now being used in the United States as well. In Clarkston, Georgia—one of the country’s most diverse refugee communities—Rohingya and Afghan girls are beginning to participate in For the Girls. Though the settings may differ, the goal remains the same: creating safe spaces where girls can learn, build community, celebrate their culture, and gain the knowledge and confidence they need to thrive.
