Hardware Without Software: Teachers' Cultural Silence and Menstrual Hygiene Management in Rural Bangladeshi Schools

In low-income settings like Bangladesh, most menstrual hygiene management (MHM) initiatives are still limited to hardware, such as toilets, water, or waste disposal systems, but software aspects such as culture, attitudes, and institutional behaviors are neglected. This qualitative study aimed to analyze how teachers' perspectives, social constraints, and institutional preparedness influence MHM implementation in schools in flood-prone rural haor regions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and nonparticipant observations with 52 teachers (22 female, 30 male) in 11 secondary schools. Thematic analysis shows that, although menstruation is biologically recognized, it remains a socially taboo subject in the school environment. Male teachers, in particular, avoid discussing MHM in class due to the Shorom-Lojja (a culturally embedded shame-modesty norm) culture and fear of social stigma. This cultural software reduces the effectiveness of existing hardware in schools, resulting in the creation of a silent infrastructure. Institutional silence, lack of teacher training, and inadequate infrastructure exacerbate this deprivation. The research shows that achieving true menstrual equity requires a two-pronged transformation: on the one hand, improving school hardware, and on the other, changing cultural and institutional software. Providing teachers with social recognition, training, and policy support can make the infrastructure effective. It is important to recognize MHM not only as an individual issue but also as an issue of dignity, education, and public health.