GESI promising practice: Zimbabwe WASH UP! Girl Talk

The WASH UP! Girl Talk program in Zimbabwe is a promising practice for integrating Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) into Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programming. Implemented from 2017-2020 with funding from Dubai Cares, the program aimed to empower primary school-aged children, particularly girls, to practice and promote healthy hygiene behaviors, with a focus on menstrual health. In partnership with Sesame Workshop, the program developed child-appropriate educational content on puberty, menstrual hygiene management, and girls’ empowerment. Targeting remote, low-resource communities, the program reached over 26,000 girls and 14,000 boys across 150 schools. Evaluation results showed a significant increase in knowledge of puberty and menstruation, dispelling myths and encouraging open conversations about these topics. The program worked to challenge socio-cultural norms surrounding menstruation and promoted inclusive education on pubertal health for both girls and boys.