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The 4th edition of a comprehensive compilation of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) resources provides an overview and categorization of the key resources available to date. This publication brings together a wealth of resources, including research, case studies, project examples, and informational materials for everyone interested in MHH.
Its main purpose is to offer individuals and …
Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) relates to how girls and women manage their monthly menstruation and require access to information about menstruation, clean and safe menstrual absorbents, amenities, and facilities such as toilets and water, and waste management to maintain hygiene. MHM in general is poor in India due to a low level of knowledge and many misconceptions about it. In recent …
Considering the urgent needs of adolescent girls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), a pilot intervention on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) was carried out through the joint collaboration of the Child Protection and WASH sections at the UNICEF Chattogram Field Office in Bangladesh. Partnering with the Sustainable Social Services in …
Considering the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgent needs of adolescent girls in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), a pilot intervention on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) has been carried out by a collaboration of the Child Protection and WASH sections at the UNICEF Chattogram Field Office in Bangladesh. Partnering with the Sustainable Social …
The development of WASH in Schools (WinS) in Indonesia has been progressing significantly in recent years. The availability of more and better quantitative and qualitative data on WinS has raised the interest of decision makers, both at national and local level, to improve school children’s access to water, sanitation and hygiene and improve the overall school environment for children. Some key …
There is growing attention to addressing the menstrual hygiene management (MHM) needs of the over 21 million displaced adolescent girls and women globally. Current approaches to MHM-related humanitarian programming often prioritize the provision of menstrual materials and information. However, a critical component of an MHM response includes the construction and maintenance of water, sanitation …
Menstrual hygiene management, or MHM, refers to a range of actions and interventions that ensure that people who menstruate can privately, safely and hygienically manage their menstruation with confidence and dignity. MHM is not only about distributing pads or providing education to girls. Effective MHM actions have three main components: i) MHM materials and supportive items, ii) Private, safe …
This tool includes checklists for (1) household latrines, (2) communal latrines, including public (e.g. markets) and institutional (e.g. schools) latrines to assess whether household and communal latrines meet minimum requirements for being inclusive and MHM-friendly – including being accessible for persons with disabilities.
This learning document is a collection of experiences from Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies in menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Experiences from both emergency contexts and long-term programming are included. The aim is to give practical “how to” recommendations, tips that National Societies have learnt, and tools developed through implementing MHM programmes which others can …
The Guidance Note: Integrating Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) into Ebola Response aims to provide streamlined guidance and practical insights to support Ministries of Health, organizations and agencies seeking to integrate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) into their Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) response. This guidance note was informed by a global desk review and key informant interviews with …
On 3 May 2019, Cyclone Fani made landfall in Puri district, in Odisha State, India. More than 1 million homes were destroyed, and approximately 16.5 million people were affected. Preliminary figures by the government estimated the damages and loss to more than Rs.12,000 crores (over USD1.6 billion). The UNICEF Field Office (FO) in Odisha, as part of their humanitarian assistance programme in the …
Building on a human right-based approach, the Gender,Hygiene and Sanitation (GHS) Joint Programme, implemented by the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), intends to support governments in assessing their policies, guidelines and budgets to better reflect women’s and girls’ rights …
(2019)
The MHM Lab’s aim is simple: to transform menstruation into a matter of pride and help women and girls stop suffering in silence. By enabling safe and hygienic menstrual management (MHM), as well as safe reuse and/or disposal of menstrual hygiene products, the Lab allows women and girls to regain control of a basic but fundamental part of their well-being. Creating a welcoming yet efficient …
This Manual has been developed for trainers of WASH and for health practitioners, to enable them to speak confidently about an issue that is regularly shrouded in silence, and which impacts upon women and girls health, education and livelihoods. The Manual includes a series of learning units (LUs), which are aimed at teaching practitioners how to improve menstrual hygiene for women and girls. It …
From 2014 to 2018 the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and UN Women implemented the Joint Programme on Gender, Hygiene and Sanitation. The objective of the programme was to support governments with the design of inclusive and evidence-based policies in the water and sanitation sector with special attention to the needs of women and girls. The programme used Menstrual …
This report explores the current situation of MHH in selected focus countries, reflecting on the recent progress made and the remaining challenges. The three in-depth country studies looked at progress at three levels: a) nationally; b) progress catalysed with the support of WSSCC funding (outside of the Global Sanitation Fund, GSF); and c) progress achieved through the GSF-supported programmes. …
(2021)
The Native Medicare Charitable Trust (NMCT), the Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit (BMZ), the Karl Kübel Foundation (KKF) and the Karl Kübel Stiftung (KKS) organized various programmes due to MHM day celebration. They created a theme for MHM day 2021, which was “Time to celebrate our Womenhood”. Based on the theme they conducted a competition as well as various types of …
Female asylum seekers and refugees face challenges in access to Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) care and face disproportionate outcomes. Menstrual Health Management (MHM) has also been noted as a concern, particularly relating to a lack of knowledge and access to appropriate management methods. Implications for poor MHM are wide reaching, but there is little data relating to MHM and female …
Foreign sex workers in Denmark are triply marginalised - due to their profession, legal status, as well as in matters related to menstruation. This pilot project aimed to assess the acceptability of the menstrual cup (MC) as well as education in menstrual health management (MHM) amongst 26 women from this group using the 'Nest International’' centre, who volunteered to be part of the project. …
Improper disposal of menstrual waste is a noteworthy challenge when it comes to Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). Polymeric sanitary napkins, which have largely replaced cloth napkins, are made of material that is non-biodegradable, leading to the accumulation of used napkins in landfills. Accumulated menstrual waste can be hazardous because menstrual blood on napkins stagnates for a long time …
This open access handbook, the first of its kind, provides a comprehensive and carefully curated multidisciplinary genre-spanning view of the state of the field of Critical Menstruation Studies, opening up new directions in research and advocacy. It is animated by the central question: ‘“what new lines of inquiry are possible when we center our attention on menstrual health and politics …
Many women and girls worldwide do not have the knowledge, skills, services, and products or support to ensure their well-being during menstruation. Due to the link of menstruation with health, education, water and sanitation, and socio-economic factors, these challenges are even more urgent for those who menstruate in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). At the same time, there is evidence …
There has been significant increased attention to menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) in the WASH sector over the past decade, but it has not been accompanied by robust or consistent monitoring. While there is not yet sufficient evidence to recommend a comprehensive set of validated indicators and questions to support MHH monitoring, there are simple steps that can be taken now by governments and …
In India, the state of Maharashtra has been pioneering innovations on MHM in both policy and practice since 2009. Government bodies, civil society organizations, social enterprises, and academia have collectively been proactive in generating robust evidence and approaches on menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for the past decade. A concerted action led by the state government, enabled systematic …
The 30th SuSanA meeting - the first virtual of its kind - took place from August 17th to August 28th 2020. It was organised by the SuSana Secretariat with support and contributions from SuSanA Partners, Members, Working Groups and Regional Chapters.
This entry is the collection point of the different resources from the SuSanA Meeting, including recordings, presentations, flyers and program …
WoMena Summary and Approach
WoMena sometimes gets the question: Are menstrual cups (MCs) ‘regulated’ by governments? This is an important question for Government Departments, donors, NGOs and others when planning MC interventions to ensure safety and efficacy of the products. The question sometimes extends beyond MCs to other menstrual health management (MHM) products – washable and …
Menstrual Hygiene Management is fundamental to the dignity and wellbeing of girls. Menstrual hygiene education, availability of water and toilets, safe sanitation facilities with access to sanitary products, are important factors enabling girls to attend school and lead a healthy life, not interrupted by menstruation.
This guidance booklet is an education resource to help girls to manage, with …
WoMena Uganda conducted a rapid assessment in collaboration with WoMena’s Knowledge Management team in six districts in Uganda to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on menstruating girls and women. The infographic shows the assessment’s preliminary findings on menstruation status and practices, gender-based violence (GBV), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) status, accessibility …
WoMena SUMMARY [1]
There is a growing understanding that gender-based violence (GBV) has many dimensions, both physical and psychological. It additionally includes both a deliberate deprival of dignity and access to basic services. This also applies to menstrual health management (MHM):
Physical violence: menstrual products can be expensive; this at times causes conflict since men are often …
Approximately 25% of the world population are females aged 15 - 49. Ensuring that women and young girls are able to address and manage their menstruation in a safe and hygienic manner is of utmost importance for public health and safe hygiene. However, the prevailing lack of awareness, persistent tabooization of the topic, socio-cultural beliefs and traditional hygiene practices, as well as …
This compilation of MHM resources attempts to provide an overview of and categorise the key resources on MHM to date. By bringing together the growing body of resources, including research, case studies and information material for girls and boys, this publication intends to provide interested individuals and organisations with an overview of the most relevant publications on MHM.
Menstruation is a natural, normal biological process experienced by all adolescent girls and women, yet it is not spoken about openly causing unnecessary embarrassment and shame. India’s 113 million adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable at the onset of menarche. At this time they need a safe environment that offers protection and guidance to ensure their basic health, well-being and …
In Uganda approximately 86% of South Sudanese refugee arrivals are women and children (UNHCR, 2017a). Globally, girls and women often lack the ability to manage their menstruation with dignity due to lack of adequate and private facilities, safe, acceptable and accessible menstrual health products and knowledge, which can be further exacerbated during conflict and displacement. Menstrual health …
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), menstrual health is often considered a taboo and many girls and women lack access to safe and appropriate menstrual health management (MHM) products. This can have far-reaching implications for women and girls’ physical, social and mental wellbeing, as well as for their sexual reproductive health and rights. These MHM issues are often further …
This guide describes commonly available MHM materials, its advantages and disadvantages to enable practitioners to choose what materials might be adequate for their target population and their context.
For each menstrual material, the environmental, health, and financial aspects are highlighted in individual tables – along with considerations of availability, user experience, and standards …
This Programming Guidance outlines essential parts of MHH programming, characteristics of good programming and examples of good practice.
It features 5 main sections:
- A global opportunity: explaining the global interest in supporting MHH
- Programm design: principles, government leadership, situation analysis, theory of change, costs
- Core package of interventions: framework of essential …
This publication is intended to deepen the understanding of the biological nature of the menstruation phenomenon in order to reclaim and restore the pride and confidence that should naturally be a part of it. Managing menstruation hygienically with linked sanitary facilities is an important aspect of life – the practical dimensions of which this publication also aims to facilitate – resulting …
The GIZ Regional Fit for School Programme in cooperation with the Sector Programme “Sustainable Sanitation” has developed a MHM in Schools concept, which is modular, culturally adaptable and consists of a primary and secondary intervention package. This publication is providing a comprehensive concept on primary and secondary interventions that are needed for Menstrual Hygiene Management in …
This factsheet is outlining current menstrual health and hygiene developments in Nepal. It also highlights the problems many girls and women encounter in accessing sanitary products.
In order to address this the production of sanitary pads by local women's cooperatives using sanitary pad machines, is supported by German Development Cooperation. These processes of facilitating the procurement …
Q1: Do girls miss school because of menstruation? ‘One in ten girls in sub-Saharan Africa misses school during their period’. This truism has not been substantiated, but empirical evidence from low- and middle-income countries has accumulated, confirming a negative effect at varying levels (from less than 10 to more than 50 percent absence during menstruation). One study from Uganda found …
This Technology Application Framework (TAF) Publication assesses two low-cost sanitary pad machines placed in women’s collectives in Nepal.
The German Development Cooperation through GIZ has started to be involved in Menstrual Health after the 2015 earthquake. A programme implemented by Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population and facilitated by the German Development Cooperation has sought …
The purpose of this meeting was to share research updates about Menstrual Health Management
(MHM) and experiences about the implementation of the menstrual cup (MC) as an innovative MHM
solution in East Africa.
The objectives were:
1. To promote the sharing of evidence in Uganda to improve MHM across East Africa.
2. To create a platform for dialogue amongst stakeholders working in MHM in …
Should we worry? Many people worry that menstrual products may contain harmful substances, particularly since products are used for a prolonged time in close contact with highly absorbent skin around the vagina. So, should we be concerned?
What are the ingredients in menstrual products? Ingredients vary greatly, both by type and brand of product. One common ingredient is cotton, especially …
Nepal’s Menstrual Movement – The topic MHM has gained considerable momentum in Nepal since the earthquake in 2015. The fantastic work of development initiatives and activists of the MHM Practitioner Alliance Nepal is documented in the report ‘Nepal’s Menstrual Movement’. It has been launched on MH Day 2019 parallel in Berlin and Kathmandu and is available for download here.
This …
Action to improve menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for schoolgirls in low- and middleincome countries continues to gather momentum around the world. The annual virtual conference on MHM in schools shared recent evidence and programmes that illustrate the continuing progress in the field. The conference provides a vital global platform for practitioners and policy makers to share ideas, discuss …
Many of the schools visited have a population of students of more than 500, of which 300 are female pupils and 200 are male pupils. Furthermore, with a total number of 8 members of staff, of which 3 are male and 5 are female teachers.
With the problem analysis, Maboshe Memorial Centre (MMC) is hoping to lobby for donor funding to conduct a 2 to 3 years project in the seven Primary Schools …
Globally many women and girls do not have access to appropriate Menstrual Health Management (MHM) methods that are effective, comfortable, convenient, affordable and safe to use and dispose of. Combined with inadequate facilities, social support and knowledge of menstruation as well as prevailing menstrual taboos and stigma, the lack of appropriate MHM methods can impact the physical, social and …
In rural areas of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) without reliable piped water supply, the conventional school sanitation system – the pit latrine – is leading to hygienic and environmental problems. Urine diverting dry toilets (UDDT) have been demonstrated to be an alternative, ecological sanitation solution for rural schools of the EECCA region. This study compares the …
The 6th International Dry Toilet Conference 2018 was held in Tampere, Finland on 22nd – 24th August 2018. The theme of the conference was Dry Toilet Goes Circular with a focus on Cooperation, Co-creation and Experimentation.
Please find the oral presentations and poster presentations below via the links to the page of the GlobalDry Toilet association of Finland.
***** Oral …
WoMena’s SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Which, and how many, products are used?
This FAQ focuses on disposable or reusable products, which are commercially available. Little information is available on traditional or homemade products. Estimates of how many products are used differ widely. Some estimates from High-Income Countries indicate around 30 products per cycle (390 annually), …
WOMENA RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on available evidence, expert opinion, recommendations from health authorities as well as from manufacturers, there is little scientific evidence to indicate that menstrual cup use increases the risk of IUD expulsion, and therefore little reason for IUD users to exclude using an MC. In the spirit of precaution, and until better evidence is available, possible users …
WOMENA RECOMMENDATIONS
The risk of developing Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) for women using Menstrual Cups (MCs) is very
low.
In 1979-80, large numbers of menstruation-associated cases of TSS appeared. In the US alone, more than 1000 cases were reported in 1980. An ultra-absorbent tampon (Rely) was identified as a main reason for this spike, but many other products were also associated, for …
Study objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess young girls and women’s acceptability, suitability and hygienic safety of using menstrual cups in Uganda, when introducing cups through the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) Life Planning Skills (LPS) project framework. In the long-‐term, this is intended to support the formulation and implementation of policies and programs aimed …
In the communities where WoMena works, girls and women frequently ask about menstrual irregularities. Clearly, they are concerned, both about their general health, and their fertility. Irregularities take many forms - age at onset of menarche or menopause, length of cycle, amount of bleeding, menstrual pain and discomfort, as well as bleeding outside the cycle.
Menstrual patterns vary greatly …
Is the menstrual cup a potential solution to address the challenges surrounding menstrual health and management (MHM) for girls and women in low-income contexts?
This qualitative study assessed the drivers and challenges for acceptability of the menstrual cup (MC) among schoolgirls in rural Uganda. The study included 36 schoolgirls aged 13–17 recruited from a school-based controlled trial of …
The review paper aims to identify possible linkages to SRHR-related issues, and to provide an overview of MHM policies and programs in the ESA region, with a focus on education, school and community-based sexuality education, WASH, sexual and reproductive health, workplace support and humanitarian programming, as well as opening up the discussion regarding marginalized groups of women and girls …
A Menstrual Health pilot project by WoMena and ZOA implemented among South Sudanese refugees and host population in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in northern Uganda. The pilot involved 4 primary schools, including students, parents and teachers, over 6 months. 4 different distribution models were applied among the participants; one school got MCs only, one school got reusable pads only, one …
There is a growing pool of evidence with regard to the effectiveness of school-based MHM interventions under WASH in Schools (WinS). This is because schools provide the ideal environment to reach all girls and boys and address taboos and misconceptions in a culturally sensitive manner.
Ministries of Education (MoE) have the power and the responsibility to transform schools into places with …
The purpose of this thesis was to investigate how rural women and girls’ menstrual hygiene
management (MHM) affects their life-quality and performance in everyday life. The thesis
analysed the opportunities, abilities and motivation they had in performing MHM and how it
affected their social and economical opportunities. From this, conclusions were drawn on how
MHM affects their …
As Menstrual Hygiene (MH) has been continuously gaining visibility and importance, World Vision, WASH United, Simavi, and GIZ organized a five-part webinar series from May to July 2018.
Each webinar aimed to address one of the key aspects of MH management, including evidence (webinar 1), knowledge (webinar 2), menstrual products (webinar 3), infrastructure (webinar 4) and policy (webinar 5) …
This manual was developed to sensitise WASH and health practitioners to the various issues associated with menstrual hygiene management. It equips professionals with important information, skills and tools for communicating with a variety of stakeholders, which can help them to promote menstrual management practices in their communities. By guiding participants through the step-by-step learning …
The Solomon Islands Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) Toolkit is one of the manuals developed for the Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Program in the Solomon Islands. It will be used to guide CLTS Facilitators, and others working with villages, to trigger village action on taking control of sanitation and hygiene within their villages. Any organisations that are doing CLTS in …
This issue of Outlook establishes menstrual health as a sexual and reproductive health and rights issue; presents the obstacles to and the consequences of not promoting and protecting menstrual health; and highlights opportunities to improve menstrual health in low-resource settings.
The 8th Emergency Environmental Health Forum (EEHF) event was hosted by the German WASH Network in close collaboration with the Secretariat of the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA) at GIZ. The aim of the 2018 EEHF is:
- To share new research and learning
- To discuss new approaches and innovation in the sector
- To bridge silos between WASH and other humanitarian sectors
- To identify …
The toolkit was designed to support a range of humanitarian actors involved in the planning and delivery of emergency responses. The guidance is therefore aimed to support 1) program staff directly delivering services; 2) program supervisors and country-level staff responsible for designing, coordinating and monitoring field activities, and 3) technical staff, focused on providing technical …
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) refers to the way in which women and girls deal with their menstruation. Girls usually menstruate for the first time between the age of 10 and 15. Learning about menstruation is thus vital for secondary school students, but it is not too early to raise awareness in elementary school. Given the number of people affected by MHM in some way or another, it is …
A MHM comic in Bahasa Indonesia developed by UKS team and UNICEF, in collaboration with GIZ. This book aims to provide proper guidance for young women when they face periods, while at the same time providing education for young men to appreciate their female peers who are menstruating. This book was developed based on the results of a study on MHM in Indonesia conducted by UNICEF in 2015, and has …
Globally 52% of the female population is of reproductive age, meaning approximately 1.9 billion women and adolescent girls menstruate each month for between two and seven days.
A first examination of the MHM global landscape: literature, academic studies, main actors, and debates, by the Sector Programme Sustainable Sanitation of the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) was …
This report seeks to understand:
(1) the current state of girls’ experience with menarche and MHM in Kenya,
(2) the donor, government, and NGO responses to girls’ needs, and
(3) opportunities for research, advocacy,
and programming to better address these needs.
This complements a Global Landscape Analysis and is one of three Country Landscape Analyses focused on India, Kenya, and …
This report seeks to understand:
(1) the current state of girls’ experience with menarche and MHM in India,
(2) donor, government, NGO, and company responses to girls’ needs, and
(3) opportunities for research, advocacy, and programming to better address these needs.
This complements a Global Landscape Analysis and is one of three Country Landscape Analyses focused on India, Kenya, …
This report seeks to understand:
(1) the current state of girls’ experience with menarche and MHM in Ethiopia,
(2) the donor, government, and NGO responses to girls’ needs, and
(3) opportunities for research, advocacy, and programming to better address these needs.
This complements a Global Landscape Analysis and is one of three Country Landscape Analyses focused on India, Kenya, and …
Most adolescent girls and women menstruate. This means that for five to seven days each month they bleed through their vagina. This monthly bleeding is often accompanied by abdominal cramps, headaches, mood changes and general lethargy all of which can be exacerbated by social stigma, myths and a lack of requisite infrastructure to manage menstruation safely, privately and hygienically. The …
This review of sanitation system trends and interactions with menstrual management practices has been conducted as part of the broader project on Menstrual Management and Sanitation Systems.
It starts with a review of trends in the development of urban sanitation systems and then explores the interaction between menstrual management and sanitation systems, mainly relating to the issue of …
This guidance booklet on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is intended for adolescent girls and young women. Issues associated with menstruation are never discussed openly and the silence surrounding menstruation burdens young girls by keeping them ignorant of this biological function. Even after the attainment of menarche, very little information is given to young girls about the physiological …
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