Access to safe and dignified menstruation is a fundamental need and a human right

– Society’s response to menstruation is linked to human rights and gender equality –

Menstrual Hygiene Day is noticed all through the world on Might 28. The theme of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022 is “to make menstruation a traditional truth of life by 2030”. We interviewed UNICEF Consultant in Mongolia Evariste Kouassi-Komlan to speak about why observing today and elevating menstrual hygiene consciousness is vital.

Are you able to inform us about Menstrual Hygiene Day and why it’s noticed on Might 28?

Thanks for having me in your media platform to speak about this vital human rights, gender equality and human dignity-linked problem. It’s critical to boost consciousness on today as a result of sadly – on account of cultural beliefs, gender inequality and stigmatization – hundreds of thousands of women and girls are unable to handle their menstrual cycle in a dignified and wholesome means. The theme of Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2022 is to make menstruation a traditional truth of life by 2030. Observing Menstrual Hygiene Day creates a world advocacy platform that brings collectively the voices and actions of non-profit organizations, authorities businesses, people, the personal sector and the media to advertise good menstrual well being and hygiene (MHH) for all women and girls. It goals to catalyze consciousness and motion towards a world with out interval poverty and stigma. Therefore, a public awareness-raising marketing campaign, #WeAreCommitted, is to be organized on today. Why Might 28 you ask? Effectively, the date represents the menstrual cycle, the common period of which is 28 days, with a mean of 5 days of bleeding. After all, the fifth month within the calendar is Might, so there’s a hidden symbolism in it.

In lots of locations throughout Mongolia, notably in rural areas, women, particularly schoolgirls, really feel ashamed and intimidated for menstruating. Is that this a typical downside world wide?

Certainly it’s, regardless of menstruation being a pure truth of life and a month-to-month incidence for 1.8 billion individuals of reproductive age. But, hundreds of thousands the world over are denied the appropriate to handle their month-to-month menstrual cycle in a dignified and wholesome means. All of us ought to notice that intervals are very regular and nothing to be ashamed of. Nobody ought to make enjoyable of anybody for getting their interval. The best way folks and societies act and take into consideration menstruation makes a giant distinction in how women and boys behave. Ladies with disabilities, for instance, face much more difficulties as a result of accessible bathrooms are usually not all the time obtainable, particularly in rural areas. That is additionally true in Mongolia, the place most faculties nonetheless use open pit latrines and don’t have any operating water. Ladies and women encounter difficulties managing hygiene throughout menstruation once they lack the enabling atmosphere to take action. Once they have issue exercising their rights to water, sanitation and training, they are going to probably have issue managing their menstruation.

When ladies and women can not handle their menstrual hygiene, it will possibly negatively affect their rights, together with the rights to training, work and well being. Therefore, it is very important focus on menstruation with your folks and households and lift consciousness of it in order that there isn’t a extra bullying associated to menstruation in faculties, communities or some other setting. It additionally is essential to allow folks to handle their month-to-month menstrual cycle in a dignified and wholesome means by making water and sanitation services accessible. Mobilizing all the society together with governments, civil society organizations and the personal sector engaged in water, sanitation and hygiene points helps promote and handle menstrual well being.

Why does UNICEF work on this problem and what different UNICEF interventions are you able to spotlight?

UNICEF, the biggest world baby rights group, envisions a world the place each lady can study, play and safeguard her personal well being with out experiencing stress, disgrace or pointless limitations to data or provides throughout menstruation. UNICEF is working with governments and companions to make sure that faculties present secure and hygienic entry to water, sanitation and hygiene services for women to handle their intervals properly. UNICEF additionally helps a greater understanding of menstruation by making data accessible and enabling provides. UNICEF is devoted to serving to women face their intervals with dignity. One such intervention is an revolutionary method, launched with UNICEF’s assist, to trace and handle intervals. UNICEF reached out to ladies in many alternative nations to create the OKY app. Ladies decided themselves how the app ought to look and work, and it has many options to guard the privateness of women who share telephones or have poor connectivity. With the user-friendly OKY app, women have a instrument created by women themselves, in order that they all the time really feel knowledgeable and in command of their menstruation.

With the aim of “making menstruation a traditional truth of life by 2030”, what enhancements are anticipated within the coming years?

Sadly, proof on MHH continues to be restricted. Due to this fact, extra and higher-quality proof must be generated on the affect of MHH on women’ lives, and the effectiveness of MHH interventions. Even the place earlier research exist on MHH, data might not be obtainable for particular sub-populations. Particular consideration must be paid to the provision facet and supporting native small and medium-sized enterprises to develop locally-made and biodegradable pads for menstruation. We have to make water and sanitation services obtainable in dormitories and make pads all the time obtainable in faculties. Menstrual hygiene training needs to be included in all faculties as a part of common coursework.

We additionally want to seek out methods to encourage versatile working preparations for individuals who expertise ache throughout menstruation. There’s a clear have to proceed campaigning to scale back taboos about menstruation. Lastly, we have to spend money on extra private and non-private sources to handle menstrual well being. As MHH is vital for the achievement of women’ and ladies’s and in addition a key goal of the Sustainable Growth Objectives, UNICEF stays dedicated to advancing the MHM agenda in Mongolia and all through the world.