Learning about the menstrual cycle has helped Anne-Marie, 16, count the days and predict when her next period is likely to start.

Involving boys in the Mutima sessions makes them realize that girls are smart and have value, she says. When girls and women look after their health, it often improves their standing in new areas, she says, such as participating in household decision-making.

This change in dynamics is critical in Burundi, which she notes is ranked as one of the lowest countries on the Human Development Index. A project supported by GAC called HerWASH, which is being implemented in Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Liberia and Sierra Leone by WaterAid Canada, focuses on improving menstrual hygiene to enhance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and adolescent girls.

Youth leaders dispel myths and misconceptions around menstruation, holding sessions where they help girls understand their menstrual cycles and the changes in their bodies.

She says the program is working to change attitudes at the government level so that the importance of menstrual health is explicitly stated in policy guidelines.

This would mean that girls and women would have access to water and sanitation facilities even in the most remote and vulnerable communities, adds Schattmann, who is optimistic that change is possible.

Dacia learned how to understand herself through the Mutima project. In doing so, we have a window of opportunity to reach adolescent girls at a critical juncture in their lives and help set them up on a path to lead healthy, empowered lives. We encourage you to post your questions and comments about this blog post on our Facebook page Grand Challenges Canada and on Twitter gchallenges.

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Cookie Duration Description cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics 11 months This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The project aims to address low attendance of adolescent girls in schools by ensuring that school sanitation facilities provide functional single-sex toilets with a reliable supply of water and soap.

Educational materials on hygiene and MHM will also be provided and dispersed. Few schools have adequate sanitation facilities, and those that do are poorly maintained and unsuitable for MHH. The Urban Sanitation Project is responding with a sanitation marketing and hygiene promotion campaign emphasizing the improvement of menstrual hygiene for girls and women.

It is financing construction of 78 sanitation facilities in schools and market places in two project cities. Standard designs include handwashing facilities, accessibility for people with disabilities, and MHH amenities. MHH and hygiene promotion activities, including training for teachers and pupils, will be conducted in the schools.

These approaches will inform future interventions in schools across the country. The Enabling Environment for Menstrual Health and Hygiene: Case Study - Kenya.

Menstrual Health and Hygiene Resource Package: Tools and Resources for Task Teams PDF. Providing Sustainable Sanitation Services for All in WASH Interventions through a Menstrual Hygiene Management Approach PDF.

Improving toilet hygiene and handwashing practices during and post-COVID pandemic in Indonesian schools. The Rising Tide : A New Look at Water and Gender. A Holistic Approach to Better Menstrual Health and Hygiene: Entrepreneurs in Action.

ItsTimeForAction: Investing in Menstrual Hygiene Management is to Invest in Human Capital. Menstrual Hygiene Management Enables Women and Girls to Reach Their Full Potential.

Menstrual health and hygiene empowers women and girls: How to ensure we get it right. In times of COVID, the future of education depends on the provision of water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Reflections from a mother on Menstrual Hygiene Day.

The SDGs, surveys, and the need for additional evidence on Menstrual Hygiene Management. Globally, periods are causing girls to be absent from school.

Shampa Malakar, a fearless advocate for menstrual health and hygiene in her community, stands confidently with the support of the Livelihoods Improvement of Urban Poor Communities Project in Bangladesh.

Although the onset of menstruation is a natural process for adolescent girls', Shampa was previously unaware of the phenomenon, and sprinted to her mother frightened, in a desperate attempt to find some much-needed comfort.

However, the onset of menstruation means a new phase and new vulnerabilities in the lives of adolescents. And poverty, discriminatory social norms, and lack of access to basic services like toilets and sanitary products, amongst other challenges, can cause menstrual health and hygiene needs to go unmet.

Therefore, it was not easy for Shampa to manage her menstrual cycle in a dignified, healthy way. Thankfully, she learned about the presence of the Livelihoods Improvement of Urban Poor Communities Project LIUPCP in her community through a local social worker, which supported her with clean and safe menstrual hygiene products.

In addition, Shampa also learned about menstrual health and hygiene interventions, dietary advice, reproductive health, and confidence building, through community sessions conducted by the LIUPCP.

Through her personal experience, Shampa aspired to improve information sharing amongst other young adolescents in the community, and became a bold advocate of menstrual health, whilst also hosting community engagements and open conversations, overcoming social taboos. As a result, Shampa has further inspired many other girls in the community who now feel more confident about managing their menstrual cycle in a healthy and dignified manner.

In order to ensure that women and girls around the world have access to the menstrual health and hygiene they need to stay healthy, it is essential to focus on the following key areas:. Education: Providing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education is essential for helping young people understand menstruation, develop positive attitudes towards it, and know how to take care of their bodies during their menstrual cycle.

This education should include information about the signs and symptoms of common gynecological conditions as well as advice on how to maintain good menstrual health and hygiene practices. Access: Women and girls should be able to access affordable sanitary products without stigma or shame.

In some countries there are initiatives in place such as free sanitary pads for schoolgirls or tax exemptions for menstrual products.

Improving access to sanitary products is an important step towards ensuring that women and girls are able to take care of their menstrual health needs.

Resources: Women should have access to information about where they can find help if they experience any difficulties related to their menstrual cycle. This could include information about where they can get medical help if necessary or contact details for local support services for issues such as domestic violence or mental health problems.

Awareness: It is important for society to be aware of the needs of women and girls when it comes to menstrual health and hygiene. This could include initiatives such as providing more public restrooms with lockable stalls or raising awareness about the importance of discussing menstrual health openly without shame or stigma.

Access to healthcare has been severely hampered by the mindset of acceptance. A greater percentage of the taboos causing serious health issues in women can be resolved by educating mothers about their own health or at the very least by removing the barriers. A major awareness drive should be created to train mothers as they can create awareness amongst the teenage girls for usage of menstrual cups.

These actions will ensure that women and girls around the world have access to the resources they require to maintain their health and self-determination throughout their lifetimes. Giving them the information they require will enable them to take charge of their own reproductive health and live fuller, healthier lives.

There needs to be awareness in order to avoid societal stigma. Society has to be made aware of menstruation and the experiences that women have during their cycles.

The resulting lack of information about menstruation leads to unhygienic and unhealthy menstrual practices and creates misconceptions and negative attitudes, which motivate, among others, shaming, bullying, and even gender-based violence.

For generations of girls and women, poor menstrual health and hygiene is exacerbating social and economic inequalities, negatively impacting their education, health, safety, and human development.

The multi-dimensional issues that menstruators face require multi-sectoral interventions. WASH professionals alone cannot come up with all of the solutions to tackle the intersecting issues of inadequate sanitary facilities, lack of information and knowledge, lack of access to affordable and quality menstrual hygiene products, and the stigma and social norms associated with menstruation.

Research has shown that approaches that can effectively combine information and education with appropriate infrastructure and menstrual products, in a conducive policy environment, are more successful in avoiding the negative effects of poor MHH — in short, a holistic approach requiring collaborative and multi-dimensional responses.

Priority Areas. In low-income countries, half of the schools lack adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services crucial to enable girls and female teachers to manage menstruation UNICEF Schools that have female-friendly facilities and incorporate information on menstruation into the curriculum for both girls and boys can reduce stigma and contribute to better education and health outcomes.

When girls and women have access to safe and affordable sanitary materials to manage their menstruation, they decrease their risk of infections. This can have cascading effects on overall sexual and reproductive health, including reducing teen pregnancy, maternal outcomes, and fertility.

Poor menstrual hygiene, however, can pose serious health risks, like reproductive and urinary tract infections which can result in future infertility and birth complications. Neglecting to wash hands after changing menstrual products can spread infections, such as hepatitis B and thrush.

Awareness of MHH contributes to building an enabling environment of nondiscrimination and gender equality in which female voices are heard, girls have choices about their future, and women have options to become leaders and managers. In addition, feminine hygiene products are a multibillion-dollar industry, which, if properly tapped into, can generate income for many and significantly boost economic growth.

Disposable sanitary products contribute to large amounts of global waste. Ensuring women and girls have access to sustainable and quality products, and improving the management of the disposal of menstrual products, can make a big difference to the environment.

In India alone, roughly million women and girls use an average of eight disposable and non-compostable pads per month, generating 1. Country Examples. Enhancing opportunities for women to access adequate menstrual health and hygiene is central to the World Bank Group in achieving its development outcomes.

In addition, the project is facilitating behavior change sessions and training on the importance of menstrual hygiene and safely managed WASH facilities. Access to finance will be provided to women entrepreneurs to help them market and sell soaps, disinfectants and menstrual hygiene products at household doorsteps.