United Nations Children’s Fund

3 United Nations PlazaNew York, NY 10017, USA

www.unicef.orgAugust 2017

For more information on UNICEF work in menstrual health and hygiene management, contact: Brooke Yamakoshi, byamakoshi@unicef.org.

GAINING GROUND:

UNICEF SUPPORTED PROGRAMMING ON MENSTRUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE NOW IN 46 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD

Teaching and learning materials created in Bolivia with municipal governments reached 10,000 boys and girls in 100 schools by early 2017, with growing interest from other municipalities to replicate the intervention in their own regions, using their own financing.

In India, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Human Resource Development and other ministries are collaborating on a state-level roll out of the National MHM Guidelines (2016), including addressing inter-ministerial planning and budgeting.

In humanitarian response in Nigeria, female WASH community management members distributed almost 100,000 WASH kits, including reusable menstrual hygiene pads, and sensitized women and girls on their use for personal hygiene.

The Ministry of Education in Zambia integrated water, sanitation and hygiene and menstrual hygiene management into its strategic policies and plans, including provisions for health to keep girls in school. Zambia’s national latrine design for rural schools now provides for a private space within the girls’ washrooms for menstrual hygiene management, with the availability of a water point.

The government, civil society, and private sector are partnering in Kenya to expand access to a wider range of absorbent materials for girls and women by strengthening markets and ensuring stronger product regulation for health and safety.

The Indonesian Council of Islamic Scholars is developing guidance for girls on menstrual health and hygiene management based on religious teachings. A comic book and video were produced to share knowledge on MHM and discourage the teasing of girls.

Niger has used community structures and the media to open the discussion on MHM. Radio stations broadcasted menstrual health messages, sketches and songs in French and Hausa over 7,000 times, and hosted lively debates with traditional leaders and community members.

NO ADOLESCENT GIRL OR WOMAN ANYWHERE SHOULD BE DENIED THE RIGHT TO MANAGE THEIR MONTHLY MENSTRUAL CYCLE IN A DIGNIFIED, HEALTHY WAY.

MENSTRUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE SERVICES ARE A CORNERSTONE TO BUILDING ADOLESCENT GIRLS’ CONFIDENCE AND POTENTIAL.

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENT GIRLS THROUGH MENSTRUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE

WHY PRIORITIZE MENSTRUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE?

Menstruation is a fact of life and a natural monthly occurrence for the 1.8 billion girls and women of reproductive age. Yet millions of adolescent girls and women across the world are denied the right to manage their monthly menstrual cycle in a dignified, healthy way. Gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, cultural taboos, poverty and lack of basic services cause girls’ and women’s menstrual health and hygiene needs to go unmet. Adolescent girls face stigma, harassment and exclusion from friends and family during menstruation. All of this has far-reaching negative impacts on girls’ lives: restricting their mobility, freedom and choices; affecting attendance and participation in school and community life; compromising their safety; and causing stress and anxiety. The challenges are particularly acute for girls and women in humanitarian emergencies. The onset of menstruation coincides with a number of new vulnerabilities – and opportunities – that arise during adolescence. Menstrual health and hygiene interventions can be a gateway for other gender-transformative programmes, like sexual and reproductive health education and life skills development. Menstrual health and hygiene interventions enable girls to overcome obstacles to their health, freedom and opportunities, such as gender-based violence, child marriage and school dropout. Menstrual health and hygiene are a cornerstone to building adolescent girls’ confidence and potential. Investments in adolescent girls’ well-being yield triple dividends: for girls themselves, for the women they will become and for the next generation.

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENT GIRLS TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL

Menstrual health and hygiene is one of UNICEF’s five priorities for adolescent girls. These priorities, implemented together and at scale, can dismantle some of the most stubborn barriers to gender equality and transform the lives of adolescent girls, supporting them to become healthy, educated and empowered women, able to direct the course of their own lives. The increased focus on menstrual health and hygiene in UNICEF’s four-year strategic plan and accompanying Gender Action Plan (2018-2021) reflects an organizational commitment to ensure that girls grow up healthy and reach their full potential. UNICEF envisions a world where every girl can learn, play, and safeguard her own health without experiencing stress, shame or unnecessary barriers to information or supplies during menstruation. Partnering with governments, United Nations agencies, civil society, communities and the private sector, UNICEF brings critical menstrual health information, facilities and supplies to adolescent girls in low-resource and crisis-affected environments around the world. UNICEF works with governments to ensure girl-friendly policies and services, while demonstrating results on the ground primarily through water, sanitation and hygiene programmes in schools. UNICEF and its partners also look for opportunities to strengthen joint, comprehensive responses to girls’ menstrual health and hygiene needs and to generate evidence on context-specific practices and challenges. For example, dedicated support to menstrual hygiene management from the Government of Canada resulted in formative research and programme delivery in 14 countries, influencing national policy frameworks and reaching thousands of adolescents.

END CHILD MARRIAGE

SUPPORT MENSTRUAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT (MHM)

STOPGENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN EMERGENCIES

ADVANCE GIRLS’ SECONDARY EDUCATION & SKILLS

PROMOTEGENDER-RESPONSIVE ADOLESCENT HEALTH

UNICEF’S COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO MENSTRUAL HEALTH AND HYGIENE PROGRAMMING

OBJECTIVE

Girls and women have the confidence, knowledge, and skills to manage their menstruation safely using appropriate materials and facilities, at home and away from the household.

PILLARS

SOCIAL SUPPORT KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

FACILITIES & SERVICES

MATERIALS

RESULTS

END TO STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION

GIRLS MANAGE MENSTRUATION SAFELY

GIRLS USE GENDER-RESPONSIVE WASH FACILITIES

MARKETS STRENGTHENED TO MEET GIRLS’ NEEDS

ILLUSTRATIVE ACTIVITIES

• Public advocacy with media, private sector, religious groups

• Targeted advocacy to decision-makers

• Community and school mobilization in support of girls and women, including involvement of men and boys

• Monitor attitudes, beliefs, and norms

• Generate evidence through research, monitoring, and evaluation

• Develop teaching and learning materials

• Deliver information to girls and boys through schools and health programmes

• Deliver information to parent and community leaders

• Train teachers and health workers

• Generate evidence through research, monitoring, and evaluation

• Supply water and toilets in communities, schools, health care facilities, workplaces

• Provide supplies and facilities for MHM in emergencies

• Include MHM in sector policies and standards

• Allocate funds for O&M

• Generate evidence through research, monitoring, and evaluation

• Understand market gaps

• Shape new product development to respond to needs

• Inform market expansion

• Supply materials in schools and health care facilities

• Generate evidence through research, monitoring, and evaluation