Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022

Menstrual Hygiene is hygiene

Menstrual Hygiene Day is a day of action, aimed at removing the shame and stigma that menstruation still carries in many societies today. It aims to raise awareness about the challenges with access to menstrual products for the poorest girls.

Many women and girls, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, struggle with access to hygiene products and cannot afford sanitary products and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Good Hygiene). “This is when menstrual health management is linked to several Sustainable Development Goals —physical health and psycho-social well-being, quality education, gender empowerment and equality, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, and responsible consumption and production for the environment.” – (Down to Earth, 2019).

We are committed to the health and wellbeing of the girls in our schools around the world and so providing access to support and education around menstruation is important for their education and wellbeing.

In developing countries young girls and women feel shame and discomfort around menstruation. Globally, over 500 million women and girls lack adequate facilities for Menstrual Hygiene Maintenance (MHM) and WASH facilities in public spaces such as schools. This leads to girls missing school days every month, leading to them falling behind in their education. It is not only a lack of dignity that is of concern, but the long term effect this has on young girls’ education and futures.

Giving girls dignity and quality education

One of the indignities of living in poverty is the inability to afford proper sanitation and personal hygiene products. We believe that all girls should have access to hygiene products and the support they need around menstruation. We provide our girls in each of our schools with the facilities, support, education, and hygiene products they need to give them dignity and a quality education. We provide this support to make sure that they do not face the same challenges to accessing sanitary products that they might face at home or the anxiety that comes with no access. This means they can manage menstruation in a dignified and healthy way.

Dignity and the effect of missing school because of menstruation are just two of the issues we address in our schools. Many school girls experience shame and anxiety around menstruation and societies around the world have taboos and stigma attached to what is the most normal and natural process that women experience. We don’t want girls to be at a disadvantage because of this and so we aim to give the best support possible to all of our girls.

We hope that through proper education and provision of the necessary products for girls in our schools, we can help improve their mental and physical health, reducing anxiety and stress and teaching girls about their own health in a positive and dignified way.

Carey Evans, Fundraising and Comms Manager