Thursday, May 28, 2015

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2015: Time to Break the Silence around Menstruation

May 28th is the official Menstrual Hygiene Day. This day provides an opportunity to discuss the right of women and girls to hygienically manage their menstruation.

Pragya Lamsal/Reserach and Advocacy/MHM



Saya Nagarkoti, 20, is a community health worker working with UEMS, one of our local partners. She stays in a small village –Lele in Lalitpur. It has been a year that Saya has been working with the local community in creating awareness on water, sanitation and hygiene related issues. Right after the earthquake and without any reluctance, Saya was seen actively working  in creating an awareness among the villagers.

Like other millions of Nepalis, a two-storey house of Saya has been damaged by the recent earthquake.  Her family members have constructed a temporary shelter made up of corrugated sheet that too is getting miserable by passing days. Thunderstorm accompanied with aftershocks is creating an ordeal for Saya including the villagers.



Life after earthquake is difficult for Saya especially managing menstrual hygiene. Saya recalls the day after the earthquake and the problem she faced managing menstrual hygiene. “I was inside the damaged house and requested my father to go outside for a while. I could not tell him that I wanted to change my sanitary pad.”

Staying inside tent she was not able to change her sanitary pad. Toilet lies far away from the house and that is very small. During disaster need for immediate relief leaves menstrual hygiene issue behind forcing many women and girls bear of the burnt. 

Menstruation is a taboo in Lele where girls are not allowed to wash their sanitary pads in water taps. On Menstrual hygiene Day I asked her, what would make her life easier she said, “Availability of disposable pads and access to water would be a bliss.” Saya is an exemplary for all to  break the menstrual taboo and help women to come out from social stigma.

If Men Had Periods (Some videos produces by WaterAid):

If men had periods…the world would be a very different (and funnier) place




About Menstrual Hygiene Day


Menstrual Hygiene Day serves as a neutral platform to bring together individuals, organisations, social businesses and the media  to create a united and strong voice for women and girls around the world, helping to break the silence around menstrual hygiene management.

  • Menstrual Hygiene Day will help to address the challenges and hardships many women and girls face during their menstruation, but also to highlight the positive and innovative solutions being taken to address these challenges.
  • The day catalyses a growing, global movement that recognizes and supports girl’s and women’s rights and build partnerships among those partners on national and local level.
  • It is an opportunity to engage in policy dialogue and actively advocate for the integration of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) into global, national and local policies, programmes and projects
  • It creates an occasion for media work, including social media.

No comments:

Post a Comment