Menstrual Awareness

Menstrual Hygiene Management

In many parts of the world, menstruation tends to be taboo, surrounded by silence, and shrouded in myths. Yet, menstruation and menstrual hygiene are emerging as pivotal issues for gender equality, human rights, and development. Indeed, menstruation perpetuates humanity and should be celebrated today and every day, rather than hidden behind shame and disgust.

One of the most significant barriers for women is the social restrictions, beliefs, and myths that influence the management of menstruation.

Due to a lack of facilities at school, at work, and in public spaces, women often prefer to manage menstruation at home, meaning they are unable to participate in cultural, educational, social, and income-generating activities. Poor practices and unsafe materials compound this problem. In addition, many women and girls lack access to safe and hygienic materials. Lack of access to the right menstrual products may lead to a greater risk of infection. For example, A study by UNFPA shows that, in locations with high humidity, reusable pads may not dry thoroughly, possibly contributing to infection risks.

One common menstruation-related complaint is dysmenorrhea, also known as menstrual cramps or painful periods. It often presents as pelvic, abdominal, or back pain. In some cases, this pain can be debilitating. A study by Vincenzo De Sanctis shows that dysmenorrhea is a major gynaecological issue among people around the world, contributing to absenteeism from school and work, as well as diminished quality of life.

Cause

Most people who menstruate experience some physical or emotional discomfort known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) about a week before or during the first few days of their menstrual periods. On average, women in their 30s are most likely to have PMS. PMS may also increase as a person approaches menopause because of the fluctuations in hormone levels. About half of the women who need relief from PMS also have other health problems, such as depression or anxiety disorders, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and bladder pain syndrome.

Motivation

Stereotypes and stigma surrounding PMS can contribute to discrimination. For instance, people may assume that PMS affects all women, or that it undermines women’s competence in the school or workplace.
Menstrual hygiene management provides a powerful entry point to empower women and girls. It has proven to be a powerful entry point to raise broader issues around gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment, including challenging issues such as sex education, sexual and reproductive health, rights, child marriage, fistula, and female genital mutilation.

Strategy

We at Edudevs Foundation are trying our best to bring out change by giving out sanitary pads and using two strategies—accessibility and awareness—we hope to end period poverty. Through folktales, street performances, and slogan writing, we hope to raise awareness of menstrual hygiene. Nari Shakti is also a major focus of our program. Regular gatherings, regular updates on the campaigns and distribution of sanitary pads, as well as a committed group of stakeholders are kept in line with the vision of the personnel. In addition to providing sanitary pads, the program has accomplished much more. We want to dispel menstrual-related myths and taboos to affect social change.