When a woman or young girl is on her cycle and does not have access to clean water, she is shamed, ostracized. To absorb the blood flow, many use figs, leaves, or sit still on a cardboard box until her period has ended. Due to lack of proper hygiene, they carry an odor; young girls are unable to attend school. Sometimes, they are beaten by their fathers. Since their mothers experience the same treatment, many do not understand why they menstruate each month.