Menstrual Hygiene Day

Did You Know?

• Menstrual Hygiene Day was initiated by the German-based NGO WASH United in 2013 and first observed in 2014.
• In 2015, WaterAid's #IfMenHadPeriods campaign featured spoof videos where men used 'Manpons' instead of tampons.

Background

Menstrual hygiene management can be particularly challenging for females in developing countries, where clean water and toilet facilities are often inadequate. Traditional cultures make it difficult to discuss menstruation openly, limiting access to relevant information about normal functions of the female body, directly affecting health, education, and dignity. In 2012, several organizations involved in public health began to break the silence on MHM, including grassroots organizers, social entrepreneurs, and United Nations agencies.

In May 2013, WASH United used a 28-day social media campaign on Twitter called 'May #MENSTRAVAGANZA' to generate awareness about menstruation and MHM within water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) development initiatives. Those involved, including WASH Advocates, Girls' Globe, and Ruby Cup, were encouraged by positive feedback and decided to create a global awareness day. On 28 May 2014, many people around the world celebrated Menstrual Hygiene Day for the first time with rallies, exhibitions, movie screenings, workshops, and speeches, involving 145 partners.

For 2015, WaterAid launched a hashtag campaign #IfMenHadPeriods with spoof videos where men used 'Manpons' instead of tampons, raising awareness about women lacking safe water, hygiene, and sanitation, and bringing men into the conversation to help tackle stigma in patriarchal societies. In Uganda, 2015 celebrations kicked off with a march to Parliament where a charter on MHM was signed, continuing to the National Theatre for presentations by primary and secondary schools.

Objectives

Menstrual Hygiene Day serves as a platform to bring together individuals, organizations, social businesses, and the media to create a united and strong voice for women and girls, designed to break the silence about menstrual hygiene management. Objectives include: addressing challenges and hardships many women and girls face during menstruation; highlighting positive and innovative solutions; catalyzing a growing global movement that recognizes and supports girls' and women's rights and building partnerships at national and local levels; engaging in policy dialogue and advocating for integration of MHM into global, national, and local policies and programs; and creating an occasion for media work, including social media.

May 28 has symbolic meaning: May is the 5th month, the average length of menstruation is 5 days, and the menstrual cycle averages 28 days. For partners in developing countries, the day strengthens government accountability; for example, in 2015 the Ministry of Health in Kenya launched a national MHM strategy, and Kenya jointly with UNICEF held a virtual conference on Menstrual Hygiene Management in Schools.