Menstrual Hygiene Day
- April Dykes
- 4 時間前
- 読了時間: 11分
There are over eight billion people on the planet today. Of that eight billion, women and girls account for 49% of the global population. The world is rapidly changing, but for women and young girls, the culture around menstruation is something that needs further change. Despite changes such as women’s rights, the existence of female prime ministers, astronauts, and more, society continues to ignore an issue that impacts every woman on this planet: menstruation.
Often, the importance of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is ignored, along with the importance of breaking the stigma around menstruation. Menstruation is a normal bodily function, a necessary part of being a woman. Today, we break the silence on menstrual health management. Today, we celebrate World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Addressing Stigmas
Although periods are a natural part of being a woman, there are still many stigmas, myths, and incorrect information being spread about it. The following myths from around the world were collected from World Pulse:
"Menstruating Women Are Impure"
One of the most widespread myths across different cultures is the belief that a woman on her period is "unclean" or "impure." This belief manifests in many ways—barring women from entering temples, cooking in the kitchen, or even touching pickles because it's thought they would spoil. The idea of impurity has no scientific basis and only serves to alienate and shame women for something natural.
"Period Blood Is Dirty and Toxic"
Period blood is often misunderstood, with some believing it contains harmful toxins. In truth, menstrual blood is just blood mixed with uterine tissue, mucus, and bacteria, similar to any other bodily fluid. The idea that it is somehow "polluted" is a baseless myth designed to instill shame.
"Using Tampons or Menstrual Cups Takes Away Virginity"
In many conservative societies, virginity is wrongly associated with an "intact hymen," and using tampons or menstrual cups is considered taboo. This misconception stems from a lack of education about female anatomy. The truth is, the hymen can stretch or tear due to various non-sexual activities like cycling, gymnastics, or even just natural growth. Virginity is not defined by the state of the hymen but by a person's personal choices.
"Menstruation is a Private, Shameful Topic"
Even today, menstruation is often discussed in hushed tones, and in many families, young girls are taught to hide their sanitary products and avoid discussing their cycles openly. This culture of secrecy contributes to misinformation and period poverty, preventing women from accessing proper menstrual hygiene. Normalizing period talk is crucial for breaking the stigma.
Have you ever heard any of these myths? Many women, myself included, have heard these myths and many others. While speaking up doesn’t erase the past shame or the emotional damage inflicted, it brings light to the darker parts of womanhood and provides the opportunity for change and healing. Addressing the stigma and explaining why that myth isn’t factual is the first step. Not only do these stigmas impact the daily lives and dignity of women and young girls, but they also lead to a lack of proper knowledge to manage menstrual cycles. When the necessary knowledge on menstrual hygiene isn’t taught, it can lead to infections and even long-term fertility issues.
“Dismantling menstrual stigma is a multilayered, long-term process that involves all actors in society. Yet, policies play a crucial role in either reinforcing or mitigating stigma. Government action that challenges menstrual stigma—such as information campaigns and education—can be useful in promoting norm evolution”( PLOS Glob Public Health)
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)
“According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme 2012, menstrual hygiene management is defined as: Women and adolescent girls are using a clean menstrual management material to absorb or collect menstrual blood, that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary, using soap and water for washing the body as required, and having access to safe and convenient facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials. They understand the basic facts linked to the menstrual cycle and how to manage it with dignity and without discomfort or fear” (World Bank Group).
To summarize this, Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) has three important components:
Access to feminine hygiene products
Education on the female anatomy and menstrual health
Clean and safe facilities to use, clean or dispose of sanitary items
To ensure the health and dignity of women and young girls around the world, we should strive to create a world in which all three of these components are possible.
Society often seems so advanced that it seems unbelievable that there are still such disparities with something as common as menstrual health. To put the issue into perspective, here are some statistics provided by Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day):
Globally, 2.1 billion adolescent girls and women menstruate.
(WHO/ UNICEF, Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2024. JMP, 2025)
On any given day, approximately 375 million women and girls worldwide are menstruating. (Own calculation)
More than 500 million women do not have the resources and support that they need to manage their menstruation. (Amaya L. et al., Advancing Gender Equity by Improving Menstrual Health. FSG, 2020)
Globally, only around 2 out of 5 schools provide menstruation education. (WHO/ UNICEF, Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, 2015-2023. JMP, 2024)
Breaking the silence
There is power in speaking up about issues. When we talk about problems, we call on the individuals who are meant to be catalysts of change to step up to the plate. A major catalyst for change came in the form of WASH United, a non-profit based in Berlin/Germany. In 2013, WASH United decided to break the silence on menstrual hygiene and health and started a social media campaign. This 28-day campaign, May #MENSTRAVAGANZA, aimed to raise awareness of the unspoken issues women and young girls face due to their menstrual cycles.
The campaign was 28 days to represent the average length of a menstrual cycle. The following year, this campaign paved the way for the creation of Menstrual Hygiene Day. Spearheaded by WASH United, Menstrual Hygiene Day was established in 2014 and has been celebrated annually since. With the ultimate goal of creating a period-friendly world, Menstrual Hygiene Day has maintained its focus on spreading awareness as well as strengthening government accountability.
What does a period-friendly world look like? “A period-friendly world is a world in which menstruation is accepted as a normal fact of life and is no longer stigmatised. It is a world in which everyone is educated about menstruation from an early age. In a period-friendly world, everyone has access to quality and affordable period products of their choice.
Everyone has access to period-friendly toilets. And in a period-friendly world,
menstrual health services are available to everyone. It is a world where
no one is held back just because they menstruate”( MH Day).
Period poverty
In order to achieve a period-friendly world, we have to acknowledge all aspects of menstrual hygiene, including the issue of period poverty. Period poverty happens when women and young girls are unable to access feminine hygiene products due to the cost or their accessibility, knowledge about women’s health, and the ways they can maintain their menstrual health. Developing countries aren’t the only ones facing period poverty. It happens all over the world, even in developed countries such as America and Japan.
Japan, like other countries, not only faces period poverty but also has stigmas and old beliefs surrounding menstruation. “Since the Heian period, women have been politically and religiously considered 'unclean beings' due to menstrual blood." This custom of 'menstrual taboo,' which treats menstruating women or women themselves as taboo, has been passed down in various regions, though not limited to Japan. Menstrual huts, used to isolate menstruating women, are a prime example.
The injustice of being looked down upon for a natural physiological phenomenon led to self-deprecation among women” (Nakai & Oikawa, 2021). Today, those stigmas can be seen in the ways people don’t have open conversations about menstruation, girls and boys having sex education separately, women being expected to endure menstrual-related symptoms in silence, and more. Due to the silent expectation to not speak about periods, period poverty has often been a silent battle women and young girls have faced for years.
In recent years, topics such as period poverty and menstrual hygiene health have become less taboo. This can be seen in the way that individuals such as Ayumi Taniguchi are speaking up about period poverty, to the creation of Seiri-chan, also known as Little Miss P, a character who represents period symptoms.
We are also beginning to see the government take public steps. In 2022, the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare conducted a survey on period poverty. “Responses were obtained from 3,000 women throughout Japan between the ages of 18 and 49 regarding their experiences acquiring menstrual products during the COVID-19 pandemic” (Nippon.com).
10% of the 3000 women surveyed have experienced period poverty to some degree. The most common form of period poverty was not being able to afford menstrual products. Solutions for this problem ranged from using toilet paper to asking someone for a menstrual product. While there are varying reasons as to why some women are unable to afford menstrual products, it is important to mention the consumption tax increase in Japan that took place on October 1, 2019. This change caused the consumption tax to increase from 8% to 10%.
In addition to the pre-existing period poverty, Japan, along with many other countries, is feeling the effects of the increase in naphtha prices. As the situation in the Middle East continues to worsen, many companies around the world are working on new ways to cut down on their use of naphtha. As a result, the prices of many products, such as menstrual products, will increase from September. Now more than ever, it is important to work together to create sustainable solutions for menstrual hygiene and period poverty.
NPOs and companies that are breaking the silence
Plan International is an international NGO working with children and girls in over 80 countries around the world to create a world where everyone is equal.
What do you value most?
Our goal is to foster the independence of children and girls in the future. They possess the ability to do so. Our main role is to support them in achieving this. We work together to develop and implement activities that children can take the initiative in.
What exactly do you do?
We conduct thorough investigations into the local situation and, through repeated discussions, launch and support projects that bring out the potential of the girls. Through various approaches, we encourage awareness of the value that girls possess and change the awareness, behavior, and environment of the entire community.
We conduct activities from a child's perspective across seven fields, primarily in developing countries. We are especially committed to supporting girls.
Education
Growth
Sexual knowledge
Work skills
Children's participation
Protection
Emergency support
We believe it's essential for "society" and "businesses" to be aligned, so we began by learning about and understanding current social issues.
As we encountered various social problems, we realized that issues like the gender gap and economic inequality were things we ourselves could relate to. Many of the things we've taken for granted are actually quite strange when you think about them carefully.
Our goal became to update these "absurd norms" and establish the updated state as a "good norm."
To create such a society, I thought it would be ideal to have a sustainable ecosystem where the burden is shared by many people with minimal effort. I also believe that companies would be willing to utilize socially beneficial initiatives as a way to increase their corporate value.
When providing sanitary products, we took care to ensure that the psychological barrier of "being helped" or "receiving charity" did not become too great.
The fact that users "see OiTr's advertisements" acts as a trade-off, so it is not a structure where users are unilaterally receiving charity.
In other words, it is a system where everyone who uses the toilets supports each other.
Through OiTr's services, we aim to build partnerships with companies and individuals to solve social problems. We believe our product, "Free pad dispenser OiTr," can contribute to three of the SDGs: 1. No poverty, 3. Good health and well-being, and 5. Gender equality.
We work with the world's extreme to poor to help them meet their fundamental needs through sustainable community development projects. Established in Japan in 2001, we are part of the global HOPE International Development Agency network, which has jointly assisted 20 million people on the path to self-reliance since its founding in 1975. Active in countries that include Ethiopia, Cambodia, Afghanistan, and the Philippines, our projects focus on the provision of clean water, primary health, sanitation, microloans, and education. We also support projects in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (March 2011).
MISSION
Helping the Neglected Poor become Self-reliant.
VISION
A world where each person is empowered to reach their full potential.
VALUES
Self-Reliance
Compassion
Dignity
Integrity
Long Term Relationships
Projects
HOPE is currently supporting rural communities through the provision of access to clean water, promotion of sanitation and hygiene, higher education for ethnic minorities, school construction, microfinance, and women’s income-generating activities in Ethiopia, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
Safe Water
Health & Sanitation
Education
Emergency Relief
Animal Bank
Micro Credit
Family Farming
Job Training
How to participate in Menstrual Hygiene Day
Anyone can participate in Menstrual Hygiene Day. The official Menstrual Hygiene Day website shares ways that everyone, from individuals to businesses, can participate.
Individuals
Every one of us can push back the stigma around menstruation. Whether it's a casual chat or a formal conversation, you have the power to break the taboo. And together, we can change how society views menstruation. Because each conversation can change how people think.
This Menstrual Hygiene Day, let's refuse to stay silent. Let's speak up for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.
Discover the bracelet varieties
The Menstruation Bracelet comes in all shapes and sizes. Discover the illustrations as a GIF on Instagram or download them directly in the materials section.
Prefer the real deal? You can DIY your own!
Craft your own bracelet
Show off your bracelet selfie
Use the Menstruation Bracelet illustrations or your self-made bracelet to make a strong statement effortlessly. Snap a selfie with the bracelet, add a statement, and publish it on your account.
Use the right hashtags
Let's unite our voices for the shared goal of a #PeriodFriendlyWorld. Amplify your impact by using the hashtags #PeriodFriendlyWorld and #MHDay2026 in your publications. This way, you harness the momentum of MH Day and become part of something bigger.
Organizations
Whether you’re a small NGO, a company, a government agency or anything in between - EVERY organisation can participate in MH Day and contribute to a #PeriodFriendlyWorld. We are many voices united as one movement. And together, we can make a #PeriodFriendlyWorld a reality.
Let's put menstruation in the spotlight
The global interest in menstrual health and hygiene peaks on Menstrual Hygiene Day, 28 May. It is the moment when the MH Day movement comes into action to maximise attention to menstrual health and hygiene. Collectively, we work at the local, national, and global levels. To ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear, we campaign under the same theme. By using the same hashtag and the campaign materials, our collective efforts feed into one universal goal: making this a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.
Organize an event
One central aspect of MH Day is the events that take place on the ground or online. They bring people together, drive conversations, and accelerate action towards a #PeriodFriendlyWorld. An event is a great chance to engage political decision-makers and to bring in the media.
Explore event options
MH Day offers an opportunity for many different types of events.
Want to highlight your work? Consider organising an educational event. You can also collect and donate products to show your work and help those in need.
If you want to keep it internal, activate your staff during the lunch break or at an after-work event. You can soon find fun inspirations in the Period Party section.
Do you want to raise awareness? Consider organising a community event such as public gatherings, rallies or exhibitions.
We must involve leaders to create a #PeriodFriendlyWorld. A great opportunity for this would be a national event that brings together key stakeholders such as the government and civil society.
Tip: team up with other organisations on your events. This will increase your visibility, boost your relevance, and use resources better.
Do you have something else in mind? Totally fine! Whatever works best for you, considering your goals, audience, and resources!
Make the most out of your event
Make use of the free campaign materials for your event. Customize the poster template in Canva or print the ready-made poster. You can also find other visual assets in the materials section that will give your event the MH Day look.
Share your event
We invite you to share your event with the International Secretariat of MH Day! After May 28, a selection of events will be highlighted on the MH Day website and in the MH Day Impact Report 2026. And in any case, it will be considered in the total number of events around Menstrual Hygiene Day. Just fill out the form below!
Every woman and young girl deserves to have access to menstrual products, proper education on female health and hygiene, as well as a clean environment to maintain their health. While today it may be a dream, together we can make it a reality for tomorrow.
IMAGE 1 Canva
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