3 noteworthy developments around menstrual health

Observed on 28th May annually because an average menstruation cycle lasts for 28 days, the theme for this special occasion was ‘making menstruation a normal fact of life by the year 2030’.

Living in a world where NO ONE is held back by their periods or shamed for them certainly sounds blissful.

We acknowledge and applaud this theme and our sincere wish is that everybody, from now on, is rid of period poverty and has access to an abundance of period essentials such as water, sanitary napkins, etc.

Before we proceed, saddening statistics still exist, such as 25% of women in Nigeria lack adequate privacy for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) or how in India, less than 20% of women use menstruation products, according to a study by UNESCO and P&G (2021).

With every passing year, we hope that the theme enlightens everybody out there.

On 22nd June’22, Human Rights Council organized a panel discussion on the topic of menstrual hygiene management, human rights, and gender equality. It was the central agenda, despite it not being explicitly stated in the Sustainable Development Goals targets for goals 3 (health), 5 (gender equality) or 6 (water and sanitation), or other such avenues.

This subject was brought to attention by grassroots workers and activists from the global South, citing that women and girls continue to feel shamed and embarrassed about their periods and how they still didn’t have proper water, sanitation, etc. during that time of the month.

After that, World Health Organization (WHO) has called for menstrual health to be labeled as a ‘health and human rights issue’ and not a hygiene issue.

It will also take the relevant steps to recognize that menstrual health means that women and girls and other people who menstruate have access to information and education about it and include period awareness in the relevant sectoral work plans and budgets and measure their performance.

This year, we debuted a brand-new website and started spreading awareness about green menstruation on our social media platforms such as Instagram.

Our cotton sanitary pads accompanied by paper pouches are the perfect conduits for climate-friendliness and ease of using period products.

Our menstruation products hope to safeguard the menstrual health of all Be Me Women and help them feel more physically and mentally safe when their monthly flow comes along.

In conclusion, we hope to write a similar type of blog next year and focus yet again on even more integral developments surrounding menstrual health.

Happy New Year!