Menstrual Hygiene Day: An Overview
WHAT? MHD is a day that’s 100% about giving girls and women and individuals who menstruate from around the world access to good menstrual hygiene and breaking the taboos about periods that hold them back! What could be better than that! It was started in 2013 by German-based WASH United, and is growing every year!
WHEN? Menstrual Hygiene Day is held every year on May 28th, but it doesn’t end there! Thousands of people worldwide work tirelessly year-round to make sure the goals set forth on MHD become a reality! Those goals include breaking taboos, raising awareness, and giving menstruators access to the products they need.
WHY? Because how can individuals who menstruate be treated as equals when their natural bodily functions are seen as ‘dirty’ or ‘bad’? Did you know that individuals who menstruate from around the world miss days of school and work because they don’t have the period products they need? Research shows that 1 in 5 women in Ethiopia, Samoa, and Laos miss school during their periods due to inadequate menstrual resources. Due to this lack of resources, their health is severely jeopardized. Half of women and girls in Niger don’t even have a place to wash and clean during their periods. It’s 2023 people! Let’s talk about it!
HOW? Every year MHD thrusts the global issues surrounding menstruation into the limelight so they cannot be ignored. Leaders and policy makers around the world are encouraged to prioritize menstrual hygiene management in their policies and programs so every female can live up to her potential.
WHERE? Here. There. Everywhere! Just like individuals who menstruate are around the world, the celebration of Menstrual Hygiene Day is global!
WHAT CAN YOU DO? Ensuring menstrual hygiene is a complex task, because it requires breaking down generations of stigma and taboos. While breaking those walls is not easy to do, Menstrual Hygiene Day is a great opportunity to start these important discussions.
About the Author
Francesca Ricciarini is 17 years old and lives in Bronxville, NY. She is half American and half Italian. Francesca loves to write, play guitar and sing.
