Even though Kenya has a National
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Strategy and Policy, a lot needs to be done to break taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation.
'Investing in
menstrual hygiene management can help get girls back in secondary school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but feminine hygiene products remain out of reach for the vast majority of poor girls and women, with millions in impoverished rural areas using other unhygienic methods instead.
Adequate
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) as defined by WHO and UNICEF is: "Women and adolescent girls use a clean material to absorb or collect menstrual blood and this material can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for duration of menstruation, MHM also includes using soap and water for washing the body as required and having access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials"10.
'A number of countries have started to develop programmes and integrate
menstrual hygiene management in their policies including removing taxes for sanitary materials that women use when they are menstruating.
The focus of the challenge in Pakistan is on 'Improving
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) for women and girls, which is a key driver in supporting women's successful participation in education and through that in the society.
The initiative also strives to educate on the role
menstrual hygiene management plays in enabling women and girls to thrive.
Menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This was followed by the launch of UNICEF's #NoChutti campaign where the UNICEF Team officially launched their campaign to highlight the taboos associated with
menstrual hygiene management. The conference ended with the 'Social Action Project' session which required the participants to create the layout of the projects they were going to initiate to bring about a positive change in society and present it to the YLC team.
The project was started with a mission to create awareness on the importance of
menstrual hygiene management, reduce social stigma attached to menstruation, provide free sanitary napkins and promote women's empowerment through various talks and awareness programs.
To break the stigma of menstruation, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), for the first time, promoted
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) by integrating good menstrual hygiene in its water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs in schools, local chapters and communities.
Menstrual beliefs, knowledge, and practices were all interrelated to the
menstrual hygiene management [13, 14].
They also emphasized the need for SRHR-related information on family planning, safe sex,
menstrual hygiene management, bodily changes, youth-friendly health services, violence, and relationships.