Background: Increased education of girls in developing contexts is associated with a number of important positive health, social, and economic outcomes for a community.

Background. The onset of menstruation is a landmark event in the life of a young woman. Yet the complications and challenges that can accompany such an event have been understudied, specifically in resource-poor settings.

Indigenous girls in rural areas live in the most extreme poverty and make up the least educated groups in Peru. These girls face numerous constraints to obtaining an education. Enrollment rates are lower for girls in rural areas, and their grade repetition rates are higher than those for boys.

This issue of the journal Waterlines looks at experiences of menstrual hygiene management in schools in a number of countries.