Dignified Menstruation in the Workplace
USAID supports improved menstrual health and hygiene for working women in Nepal and Kenya
Around the world, many people who menstruate every month cannot afford to buy tampons and pads. This “period poverty” can cause poor concentration at work and even missed work, leading to less productivity.
Understanding that menstrual health and hygiene is key to achieving gender equity, USAID is designing and implementing projects to enable women — as well as transgender and non-gender binary individuals who menstruate — to better manage their menstrual cycles in the workplace.
In Kenya and Nepal, USAID’s Menstrual Health and Hygiene in the Workplace initiative has partnered with four manufacturing companies to promote women’s economic empowerment through improved menstrual hygiene management.
“We’ll experience more job satisfaction if we’re provided with pads, and if supervisors understand us and we feel understood and accepted in our condition,” commented one woman from a Kenyan factory.
Workplace culture, societal norms and beliefs, water and sanitation facilities, and workplace policies all contribute to an employee’s experience menstruating at work, whether positively or negatively. USAID’s partnership with the private sector is improving these elements and removing barriers that menstruating individuals experience in the workplace.
As part of the initiative, the partner companies have invested in water and sanitation infrastructure based on USAID’s recommendations. The companies have installed improved menstrual waste disposal and management, locks inside toilet doors, consistent running water, and enhanced privacy between toilets.
USAID also hired consultants with expertise in addressing gender norms and menstrual health and hygiene to ensure that our recommendations are tailored to the local context and will be sustainable.
With USAID support, women employees in both Kenya and Nepal received a locally manufactured bag that includes locally sourced disposable and reusable menstrual products and underwear. USAID is supporting the employees for 10 months to ensure they have ongoing access to menstrual products of their choice.
While providing menstrual products is key to sustainable and dignified menstrual health and hygiene in workplace settings, they are not the only solution.
In both countries, USAID supports promotion of healthy beliefs and positive attitudes towards menstruating employees through education and behavior change sessions for all employees. The sessions address, among other topics, the proper use of menstrual products and the physiology of menstruation to reduce stigma.
During a session in Nepal, employees who menstruate were enthusiastic about the reusable pads, which they had not heard about.
During another session about reusable menstrual products in Kenya, it became apparent that employees who menstruate at one of the factories in Kenya loved the menstrual cup. “Is it possible to receive a second cup?” asked one employee. “Where can we purchase these cups?” inquired another. And finally, the woman guard at the factory spoke up, “I plan to use the cup for the rest of my life!”
In Kenya, issues of workplace culture — including worker satisfaction, approachability of supervisors, and women’s representation in decision-making — are being addressed through in-person sessions with all personnel, behavior change messages on posters, and informal conversations with employees in WhatsApp groups. Working with men as champions and allies is an important component of the project’s success.
“It is important for women to be comfortable to speak about menstruation and to break the culture of silence so that we can be more supportive to the women at the factory,” commented a male employee in Nepal.
Through USAID support, working individuals who menstruate are benefiting from improved menstrual health and hygiene and a more inclusive and accepting work culture — increasing staff morale and improving employee satisfaction, which could lead to gains in productivity, retention, and promotion.
“It is possible to be more accommodating towards women and still maintain productivity. It is not only possible, but also important, because we know that when women work, the whole family benefits,” said a male supervisor at one of the factories in Kenya.
More importantly, USAID and these four companies are paving the way for the broader private sector to embrace the need for adequate menstrual hygiene management in the workplace.
About the Author
Stephanie Mork, Communications Analyst in USAID’s Bureau for Global Health, developed this story with technical contributions from Maneshka Eliatamby, Senior Associate at Iris Group, and Whitney Fry, Senior Associate at Iris Group. Led by Iris Group, the Menstrual Health and Hygiene in the Workplace Initiative is part of USAID’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Partnerships and Learning for Sustainability Project (WASHPaLS).
