Kate Pearson’s Post

Today, as we kick off Menstrual Hygiene and Management Week 2024, we wanted to use this video to highlight the lack of awareness around a simple biological phenomenon that affects millions of girls and women in India: menstruation, commonly termed as periods. The Milaan Foundation team couldn’t stop admiring Whisper India’s latest commercial for its wholesome yet enlightening message. Who could have ever imagined mistaking a period for a fish bone stuck from last night’s dinner! Well, Whisper takes us on a journey where an 8-year-old and her friends think just that. Whisper cleverly uses this mix of innocent humor and relief to drive home an important message. In a country like India, the myths about menstruation still run rampant and education is key. Even today, only about 36% of women use sanitary products while the rest resort to unsafe homegrown methods, such as using leaves or rags soaked with gasoline. For over 20% of young girls in India, the onset of menstruation also means missing school days due to a lack of proper facilities, education, and support. With girls as young as 8 now starting their period, the need and urgency to normalize conversations around menstruation is more vital than ever. That’s why Milaan Foundation is working towards educating girls and boys alike about menstruation hygiene at a grass root level. Throughout each of our programs, including the Girl Icon Program, the Unmukt Adolescent Program, and Swarachna School, we’re debunking these myths, breaking down barriers, and empowering young minds with the knowledge and confidence to navigate this natural part of life. At the same time, we realize that we cannot fight this fight alone and we invite you to join us to shush the shushing. Let us break down taboos together and empower our young girls to take charge of their health and futures. We’d love to hear your thoughts and learn about other initiatives or how you would like to make a difference in the comments below. #MenstrualHygieneDay #MHM #Education #GenderEquality #Whisper #MenstrualHealth #CorporateResponsibility #CSR #Empowerment #Health #India #LetGirlsLearn #PeriodFriendlyWrold National Health Mission, Uttar Pradesh National Health Mission, Department of Public Health and Family Welfare, Govt of Madhya Pradesh Video Credit: Whisper India

We are continuing our series on how programming for menstrual health could advance the attainment of multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Eloise Calodoucas from PP Wales highlights how SDG 4: Quality Education could benefit from holistic menstrual health programmes. Menstruation can impede adolescent girls' access to education due to several interrelated factors, including inadequate sanitation facilities, societal stigma, limited access to menstrual products, physical discomfort, lack of education about menstruation, and entrenched gender norms. Without proper WASH facilities, comprehensive sexuality education, and affordable menstrual products, adolescent girls may feel ashamed or uncomfortable attending school during their periods, leading to absenteeism or dropout. Additionally, societal taboos surrounding menstruation can perpetuate feelings of shame and inferiority, further deterring adolescent girls from seeking education during menstruation. Addressing these barriers requires comprehensive efforts to provide menstrual education (across the life course), improve access to WASH facilities and products, challenge menstrual stigma, and promote supportive school and home environments that prioritise adolescent girls' health and well-being, thus ensuring menstruation does not hinder their educational opportunities. #SDG4 #menstrualhealth #womenleaders #education #sdgs #humanrights

New Zealand girls and young women, as well as nonbinary persons who bleed every month, have a limited understanding of menstruation. This lack of knowledge about their own bodies is affecting their overall health and wellbeing. Our ongoing research, currently under peer review, looks at the menstrual health literacy of premenopausal females between 20 and 34 years old (in this article the term “female” is used to refer to individuals with the reproductive organs and hormones that enable menstruation. However, the authors do acknowledge that sex is not binary). We examined how people understood the purpose of hormonal changes and health outcomes (acute and long-term) associated with the menstrual cycle. The results are concerning in a country where more than half the population is female, and where health education starts in the first year of school. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gdg7jPiT #DrStacySims #Research #MenstrualCycle

While the need for menstrual health in achieving quality education is often talked about, it is equally crucial to highlight the role of quality education in attaining good menstrual health status. More on this in the great series by Eloise Calodoucas and Pandemic Periods! #SDG4 #MenstrualHealth

Had a prime-time discussion on a topic I feel so strongly about - Menstrual Hygiene for school girls in India. Addressing menstrual hygiene isn't just a health issue; it's about empowerment and rights. Discussed Sulabh International Social Service Organisation's latest report with the research lead Nirja Bhatnagar and Titli Foundation's Alankrita Pandey. Some startling facts and points to note: 🩸 Missed School Days: Inadequate facilities lead to menstruating girls missing school days. Approximately 23% drop out due to a lack of menstrual products, washrooms, and disposal facilities. 🚺 Societal Perceptions: Deep-rooted stigmas around menstruation hinder access to proper facilities. Nearly 71% of girls are unaware until their first period, contributing to knowledge gaps. 📚 Education & Stigma: Comprehensive menstrual health education in schools is pivotal. It's a barrier-breaker combating stigma and ignorance. 💡 Community Collaboration: NGOs, local authorities, and communities must unite for sustainable menstrual hygiene solutions. This includes advocating for proper facilities and education. 🏫 Government Initiatives: The recent Supreme Court directive to ensure free sanitary pads, separate washrooms, and clean water in schools is a critical step towards addressing period poverty. Let's work together to bridge the gap, break taboos, and empower our girls. Every girl deserves dignity, health, and education! #MenstrualHygiene #EmpowerGirls #EducationMatters 🌸✨ SHIVANI PANGTU Pushpraj Dalal Sutirtha Sahariah, Ph.D. Abha Kumar Kumar Dilip Vinita Varma

Menstrual Health and Hygiene Session in Rural Schools Globally accessibility to menstrual related knowledge and products holds social, cultural, physical and economic implications on the overall development of menarche, teenage and women. If looked at the urban setup the youngsters are dependent on the internet generated knowledge that’s gives diverse opinions on the concept, attitudes, practices and knowledge. At the school level the teachers covers the biological aspect of reproductive system and generally miss on the social and cultural aspects. Thereby generating diverse understanding on the subject. When looked at the semi-rural or rural level, a girl’s mobility is restricted and defined by societal norms and hence of internet and school based knowledge is quite limited. Hence they are largely dependent on the traditional sources of knowledge such as mothers, friends, neighbours and family relations. Thereby leaving them with either no or limited knowledge. Thus there is a need of Menstrual Hygiene Management intervention among rural teenage community so that a complete comprehensive understanding and knowledge can be imparted to them. Special thanks to Deepa s k naik Esalavath for conducting sessions in schools, Prasanth Perumal for Sponsoring this program. #BrighterDaysAhead #washroomopening #SanitationForGirls  #EducationForAll #HygieneFacilities #CommunityDevelopment  #GirlsEducation #wash #SwachhBharat #unicef #CSRPartnership  #ProgressThroughInitiative

Happy Menstrual Hygiene Day! This year's Menstrual Hygiene Day marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of raising awareness about the fundamental role that good menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) plays in enabling women, girls and all who menstruate to reach their full potential. Over the years, WaterAid has made remarkable strides in pioneering approaches to MHH and advocating for greater investment in menstrual health. The achievements we have made are far too many to be mentioned but some to be proud of include: - Committing to build on our leadership in menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) as part of our Global Strategy which is now one of the key hygiene behaviours we promote in all our work.   - Being a founding member and host of the Global Menstrual Collective; this year the focus is on advocating for MHH's critical role in achieving the SDGs. - Running successful MHH projects across our country programmes, including WASH GAINS in Nepal.   - Driving campaigns to reduce or remove discriminatory taxes on menstrual products and promoting inclusive approaches to MHH. Looking ahead, we will continue to expand our work on menstrual health and hygiene with a focus on establishing policy priorities to fulfill the commitments outlined in the strategy. #MHDay2024 #PeriodFriendlyWorld

In many parts of the world, menstruation has a stigma associated with it. Many women relate their period with feelings of shame, discomfort and secrecy due to a societal pressure not to talk about menstruation. Menstruation is still viewed as an uncomfortable, taboo topic even though a quarter of the world experiences it every month. These stigmas have been passed down through generations, intertwining themselves in the culture of these societies. Without proper education regarding menstruation, this stigma will continue, further fuelling period poverty. These misconceptions and harmful ideas surrounding menstruation that originated years and years ago will continue to remain prevalent in the conversation surrounding menstruation. These conceptions have been ingrained in society to the point where active learning and discussion about menstruation is required to reverse the stigma around periods and menstruation. Menstrual education affects health, understanding menstruation will help girls reach their healthiest potential. Knowing what to expect and how to navigate periods is empowering and will help prevent negative health outcomes or complications. Menstrual education will help girls know what is normal and abnormal about their periods which can help them and their doctors identify menstrual disorders earlier. Education can help improve menstrual health and young people's comfort with and confidence about periods. #menstrualeducation #menstrualcycle #menstrualhealth #periodeducation #periodeducationforall #menstrualhygiene Follow us for more https://lnkd.in/eA9bB2fC

Did you know that in some parts of India, up to 70% of adolescent girls have no knowledge about menstruation before their first period? Let's rewrite this narrative by spreading awareness and ensuring every girl is equipped with essential menstrual hygiene education! #KnowledgeIsPower #GirlsEducation #PeriodPositivity"

Men and Menstruation    Ever wondered if men have a role to play in the menstrual well-being of women? Do they truly understand or appreciate what a woman goes through during her reproductive cycle? Do men possess enough understanding or empathy to show concern or consideration for a woman’s plight?    Pennies 4 Pads, the world’s largest sanitary pad donor, firmly believes that men do have a significant role to play in this space. A thorough understanding of female biology and the associated emotional swings can make a big difference in their perception of the whole issue, making them much more supportive to women and helping them create a world of difference!    Pennies 4 Pads aims to instill this empathy at an early age. We have initiated the pioneering work of educating boys on menstrual issues. As part of our 'Men and Menstruation' initiative, we organized exclusive training sessions for middle/high school boys last week in the city of Bangalore.    Interesting insights emerged from these meetings. The boys’ knowledge level on menstrual issues varied from absolute ignorance (not even aware of menstrual periods) to misconstrued ideas (believing a girl is not healthy if she is having her periods) to taboos (keeping away from menstruating girls; they make you sick! )    Our Program Managers did a fabulous job of teaching these boys the basics of menstruation and how they can make a difference for their sisters, mothers, and friends by providing physical and emotional support when needed.    The most satisfying part was the way the boys reacted and received this information. They showed enthusiasm to learn and displayed a positive attitude. Hopefully, this translates into action in the future.    Pennies 4 Pads plans to expand this activity to other states as well. As the world’s largest sanitary pad donor, we are working towards a holistic solution to the issue of neglected menstrual health and how it affects education! Support us www.pennies4pads.org or GPAY 919487366752 #pennies4pads #girlseducation #menstrualhealth