"I am free": For millions of girls, access to sanitary products is life-changing.

When I first met Christine, she defeated me on a makeshift netball court at her school in Uganda. At 27, any confidence I had in my netball skills were destroyed by this spirited 15-year-old and her barefoot teammates. It was humbling.

When I told Christine how great she was, I was shocked to hear that a few months earlier she had been unable to even think about playing. Her outlook was bleak; she was missing days of school. She was frightened, in pain and had no one to talk to.

Why? Because she had her period.

“I thought it was going to last forever,” Christine told me with sadness in her eyes. “The first time I got sick, I would just lie still, be quiet and sleep. I was in so much pain. I would just bathe and sleep.”

“I found a piece of carpet somewhere.”

For girls in Australia, getting our period for the first time is confronting. But for a girl in rural Uganda, it can be terrifying. Reproductive health is not discussed at school or at home – and they are often unaware of what is happening to their bodies. Plus, many girls don’t know about or have access to sanitary pads. Even if they do, they can rarely afford the cost.

Girls like Christine are vulnerable and left to guess how to manage their period – often resorting to old newspaper, banana leaves or old rags. Not only are girls left to deal with leaks and embarrassment; it’s unhygienic and can have debilitating health consequences.

“I found a piece of carpet somewhere so I washed it and used it,” says Christine, who had several leaks at school and was teased by boys in her class.

“I feared from that time that people would laugh at me forever. I was always getting out of class, I was uncomfortable, I couldn’t concentrate and I was always checking my dress.”

It’s not surprising that girls like Christine often avoid going to school when they have their period. Some miss up to a week every month. Alarmingly, one in 10 African girls will drop out of school altogether. Girls who drop out of school are more likely to marry early and become mothers too young, trapping them in the cycle of poverty.

But the good news is that things are starting to change. I was in Uganda to find out more about a menstrual hygiene project that the organisation for which I work  – Plan International Australia – is supporting. And it was incredible to see the impact the project was having.

Plan’s menstrual hygiene project ensures women and girls have access to effective, low-cost menstrual hygiene products by introducing affordable, hygienic and reusable pads known as AfriPads.

But it’s more than that. We’re also ensuring they get access to the knowledge they need to take charge of their bodies, look after themselves and prevent illness from occurring in the first place.

“We had training on personal hygiene, on how you keep yourself safe and clean during menstruation. And then our senior teacher also came and told us about reusable pads. I saved up to buy some. It took some time to save the money but I feel so happy. I can concentrate in class, I can play netball. I am free,” says Christine.

I was not surprised when this spritely girl told me that she is now an ambassador for menstrual hygiene at her school. Christine is leading a group of 20 girls and boys who are educating fellow students about menstrual health and hygiene.

That’s right: girls and boys.

It seems far-fetched to imagine boys in Australia discussing menstrual hygiene, let alone in Uganda. But when I quizzed Christine’s teacher Okori about this, he told me that the training has inspired big changes at the school. “It’s true, the boys are changing … they are much more supportive of the girls. They know it’s not something to be embarrassed about or to tease the girls about.  I am very proud of the students”.

For the next netball game I watched from the sidelines and couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by this amazing group of girls. What an inspiring picture it was –completely void of any developing country stereotypes. Against a backdrop of rural poverty I watched the netballers enthusiastically celebrate another goal – energetic and healthy young women, playing sport, enjoying school and reaching their full potential.

Today – International Day of the Girl – is a day where we acknowledge the unique barriers girls around the world face on their journey to becoming women. It’s also a day where we recognise the incredible resilience of girls like Christine who are succeeding in contexts where they are statistically meant to fail.

Girls rights are human rights and we need to defend them.