Turning the (Crimson) Tide — Celebrating World Menstrual Hygiene Day
By Karen Hobday
It’s rare to find a woman who rejoices when her time of the month comes. Periods are a monthly nuisance that women have to deal with; at best, they are an inconvenience, and at worst, they are painful and shameful. Menstruation is a marvellous indicator of a woman’s ability to bear children, but it is also costly and literally cramps up our style.
Menstruation certainly causes more hardship for those who lack access to menstrual hygiene products and privacy to manage their periods. Given that it’s still a taboo subject in many parts of the world, lack of access and privacy leads to humiliation and can prevent girls and women from going to school or work. Access to clean water and sanitation facilities is integral for safe and healthy menstrual hygiene. Without access to clean sanitation facilities, sanitary products and safe disposal, women are hindered from managing their periods.
In recognition of World Menstrual Hygiene Day (today, May 28), Asia P3 Hub is highlighting three examples of innovative solutions that assist women and girls in managing their menstrual hygiene with dignity: World Vision in Papua New Guinea, WaterAid and Vatsalya in India, and Sustainable Health Enterprises in Rwanda. Let’s create awareness and stop the stigma surrounding this natural process!
- Making Menstrual Hygiene Matter in Schools and Communities in Papua New Guinea: World Vision
World Vision is working in Papua New Guinea to combat the taboo of menstruation. To do so, World Vision ensures Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)is an important part of its water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) program in 12 schools in the Morobe and the Western Provinces. Take a look at this poster for a quick overview of the project!
2. Working with Boys and Men to Break Down Menstrual Taboos: WaterAid India and Vatsalya
In 2011, WaterAid India and local Non-Governmental Organisation, Vatsalya, began implementation of a MHM program in schools and in 66 villages in Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh. The program recognised that working with boys and men is essential as they often enforce and perpetuate social taboos. Boys frequently tease and bully girls about their periods at school and older men make the decisions surrounding funds for menstrual products and hygiene infrastructure at home. In total, 66 male groups were formed and involved almost 1,000 boys and men. Male peer educators met with community leaders and other men to create informed dialogue surrounding menstruation, which enables an environment for MHM behaviour change.
An assessment of the program was conducted in 2014 and found a number of positive deviances. For example, boy’s and men’s perceptions towards menstruation changed, and in turn increased girls’ self-esteem. There was also a reduction in both gender inequities and exclusion from challenging taboos, social norms and stigmas around menstruation. Additionally, budgeting for sanitary pads has been initiated in many households and infrastructure support, such as the construction of household and school toilets, now allow girls and women to manage their menstruation with dignity. Check out this short video called “Making the Invisible, Visible.”
3. Biodegradable Menstrual Products: Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE)
Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE) is a social enterprise in Rwanda that manufactures affordable and disposable menstrual pads using locally available banana fibres without the use of chemicals. These pads are distributed to girls and women who would have otherwise missed out on school or work because they couldn’t afford to buy menstrual pads. SHE helps women jumpstart social businesses by providing them with equipment and training to process and manufacture banana fibres, which would otherwise have been thrown away, into menstrual pads. In other words, SHE adapts a sustainable, close-looped model that turns wastes (banana fibres) at one point in a value chain into inputs to create biodegradable pads at another point. In 2017, SHE manufactured and sold approximately 360,000 sanitary pads reaching almost 22,000 girls and women. The organisation purchased banana fibres from 830 farmers. Johnson & Johnson and Seventh Generation are amongst the partners who have provided technical inputs and funding.
We’re inspired by the great work these organisations are doing to turn the (crimson) tide — and hope you are as well!
Learn more about WASH here: http://www.unwater.org/water-facts/water-sanitation-and-hygiene/
Edited by: Micaela Tam
This article was contributed by Asia P3 Hub’s Gender and Hygiene Promotion Advisor, Karen Hobday.
Karen has worked in the field of global health in project management and academic roles, in various countries including South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Pakistan. She has worked for the World Health Organization’s Health Emergency and Outbreak Unit in Geneva, Switzerland. Karen has undertaken research in Mozambique, Zambia, East Timor and the Pacific Region in the areas of HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, health promotion and health seeking behaviour.
Karen is currently undertaking her PhD at the Menzies School of Health Research in global maternal health focusing on the prevention of post-partum haemorrhage in Mozambique. She is interested in both humanitarian aid and sustainable development projects that improve health outcomes. While living in Darwin, Karen worked in Remote Primary Health Care at the Northern Territory Department of Health. She is passionate about human rights and social justice.
