Posted On: 2025-05-28 13:28:46
Every year on 28th May, the world comes together to observe Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Day, a crucial campaign aimed at breaking taboos, raising awareness, and promoting good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) practices for women and girls worldwide. The date, 28/5, symbolically represents the average menstrual cycle of 28 days and the average duration of menstruation, which is five days.
Menstruation is a natural biological process, yet it remains one of the most stigmatised subjects in many parts of the world. This silence and shame around periods prevent millions of girls and women from leading healthy, dignified lives. According to UNICEF, nearly 1 in 3 women globally lack access to adequate sanitation facilities. In many developing countries, a lack of menstrual education, products, and privacy leads to girls missing school or even dropping out entirely once they start menstruating.
The aim of Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Day is not only to normalise conversations around menstruation but also to ensure that every woman and girl has access to clean and safe menstrual products, proper sanitation facilities, and accurate information. These are basic rights, not privileges. Maintaining good menstrual hygiene is crucial for women’s health, dignity, and overall well-being.
Organisations worldwide, including many grassroots NGOs, run campaigns and awareness drives to educate people, especially in rural and underserved communities, about the importance of menstrual hygiene. These initiatives focus on making menstrual products like sanitary pads, menstrual cups, and reusable cloth pads available and affordable. They also include workshops in schools and communities to teach girls how to manage their periods safely and confidently, free from embarrassment or fear.
In India, the government and non-profits are working hand in hand to combat period poverty and spread awareness. Programmes like the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS) and various NGO-led campaigns are playing a significant role in reaching adolescent girls and women in remote areas.
However, more needs to be done. We must continue to challenge the social norms and harmful myths that surround menstruation. Families, schools, and communities should foster open conversations to create a supportive environment for girls and women. Men and boys must also be included in these discussions, so that menstruation is seen as a shared societal issue, not just a “women’s problem.”
Let us use this Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Day to commit to change, to raise our voices, support initiatives that promote menstrual health, and work towards a world where no girl has to skip school, suffer in silence, or feel ashamed because of her period.
Because menstrual hygiene is not just about health, it's about equality, dignity, and human rights.
Author: Isha Mahendra Ingle
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