Girls clapping in a classroom

Girls’ clubs and forums

ActionAid supports girls’ clubs and forums in schools that create safe, supportive spaces where girls can speak openly about the challenges they face, share experiences, and access the information and support they need to stay in school and thrive.

They are led by teachers or by local ActionAid workers who understand the issues that the girls face. At the clubs, girls learn about the reproductive system and reproductive health, periods and how their bodies change during puberty. They learn about early child marriage, early pregnancy and harmful traditional practices like female genital mutilation (FGM).

Girls also learn how to demand their rights, including their right to have control over their own bodies and their right to education. Most of all, the girls learn that they can create a better future for themselves.

Girls' clubs tackle period poverty

In Nyanza District, Rwanda, ActionAid-supported girls’ clubs are helping to break the cycle of period poverty by combining menstrual health education, practical skills, and improved access to essential services.

Run as part of wider programming by ActionAid and our partners, these summer clubs bring girls together in safe spaces where they can learn, share experiences, and build confidence.

Many girls in the district miss school during their periods due to a lack of affordable menstrual products, limited access to clean water, and inadequate sanitation facilities. The girls’ clubs respond directly to these barriers.

During sessions, girls learn about sexual and reproductive health and rights improving their understanding of their bodies. They are also trained to make their own reusable sanitary pads using simple, locally available materials, offering a low-cost, sustainable alternative to disposable products.

Alongside practical learning, the clubs connect girls to information and support services, ensuring they know where to seek help when needed. These efforts are complemented by investments in school infrastructure, including clean water access and safe, private toilets, so girls can manage their periods with dignity.

Together, the clubs demonstrate how education, practical tools, and infrastructure can work hand in hand to tackle period poverty and keep girls in school.

Belyne, a workshop leader at the Girls camp leads sessions on how to make reusable period pads at an ActionAid girls camp in Nyanza, Rwanda.

hristie ​Ntwari/​ActionAid

Creating change through girls' clubs

The girls also build their self-confidence and leadership skills through the forums. These are crucial life skills that will help them to participate actively in their communities throughout their lives.

Developing these abilities also empowers them to promote girls' rights and challenge abuse. This ensures that the change doesn't stop with the girls themselves, but has a positive impact throughout communities. 

Girls' clubs promote girls' education in Nigeria 

Precious is a member of a girls' club in Nigeria. Through the girls' club, she is raising awareness of the importance of girls' education in her community. 

"One of the things we do in the club is to visit girls who have dropped out of school. We visit them and tell them about the importance of school and education. Some of my friends have dropped out of school because they don't see the benefits. Some of them have problems with their parents who don’t understand why their daughters need to go to school and so won’t find money for the school fees."

     Girls at the ActionAid Rwanda summer camp in Nyanza District participate in classroom learning activities. Christie Ntwari/ActionAid 

    Page updated 22 May 2026