Chetha Sao: Helping Girls Move from Silence to Confidence in Cambodia

For teachers like Chetha Sao, education is about more than lessons in a classroom. It is about helping students feel confident in themselves and truly prepared for life.

At O Ya Dav Secondary School in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, Chetha has seen firsthand how access to accurate information about puberty and menstrual health can change the way her students see themselves.

Chetha joined Days for Girls programs in 2023 through a three-day training program that prepared teachers to deliver DfG’s comprehensive menstrual health lessons. For Chetha, the impact of those lessons quickly became clear.

Before the Days for Girls program, she noticed that girls felt shy and uncomfortable discussing menstruation. Without accurate information, they often felt they needed to hide their experiences or handle their periods alone.

After the lessons, Chetha noticed a meaningful shift.

Girls who once stayed silent began asking questions. Students started speaking more openly about their menstrual health and supporting one another instead of feeling isolated.

“They are no longer shy or feel alone during their period,” Chetha explains.

Chetha continues to educate herself so that she can pass it along to her students. She has participated in DfG programs every year since her training in 2023, sharing these lessons and this knowledge with her students and continuing to be a strong advocate for period positive environments at her school. She helps girls who have not yet begun menstruating feel prepared, while supporting those who have already started their periods to feel more comfortable and confident.

For Chetha, International Women’s Day is a reminder of the dedication of women around the world who have worked to advocate for equality and dignity. It is also an opportunity to recognize the important role women play in education, leadership, and community life.

Through teachers like Chetha, classrooms become places where stigma is replaced with understanding, and where girls learn that menstruation is a natural part of life they can navigate with confidence.