Latest news with #WorldMenstrualHealthDay
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Health
- The Citizen
She PowHer summit 2025 sparks dialogue about menstrual dignity in Sandton
The She PowHer Foundation hosted its landmark She PowHer Summit 2025 on May 29 at Artistry in Sandton, under the powerful theme: Invest in Human Capital. The summit brought together leaders in government, corporate South Africa, education, and development to reframe menstrual health as a matter of public investment, economic justice, and human rights. The event was held a day after World Menstrual Health Day, which was a rallying call to make menstrual equity a national priority. Keynote speaker, the Minister of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, delivered a passionate address, calling for greater accountability and transparency in how menstrual dignity funds are spent across provinces. 'This ministry must be the one to answer questions around how provinces are spending the money, whether or not they are buying sanitary pads from women-owned companies. It is not about women's issues; it's about dignity, equity, and basic human rights.' Also read: SAOA encourages women to take care of their eye care Chikunga confirmed that, through national treasury allocations, the department distributed sanitary pads to schools across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, the Free State, and the Northern Cape in 2024, focusing on quintile 1–3 schools and disadvantaged communities. She also highlighted the implementation of the Sanitary Dignity Framework, which prioritises free, quality, and SABS-compliant menstrual products in public institutions. The summit featured dynamic speakers, including representatives from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Aspen Pharmacare's Dr Stavros Nicolaou, and humanitarian Yavi Madurai, all echoing the urgent need to shift menstrual health into the mainstream of development discussions. Read more: Women Investment Network ignites movement for gender equity in investment landscape At the helm of the movement is Dr Ruth Apostolov, founder of the foundation, whose advocacy has resulted in the distribution of more than 30 000 menstrual cups across Southern Africa. 'This is more than a summit; it is a movement. We are saying Africa doesn't need to import solutions, we manufacture them.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Scoop
01-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Break The Silence On Periods, Change Mindsets
Press Release – Fiji Women's Rights Movement The annual event, with almost 180 participants from different communities around Suva, is a platform used to share awareness and information about menstruation and its related issues. Let us break the silence, change mindsets and start openly talking about periods. This was the sentiment shared today at the Fiji Women's Rights Movement Let's Talk Periods festival held in Suva to mark World Menstrual Health Day this week. Opening the event, FWRM Governance Board Chair called for an end to the stigma on periods and advocating for better WASH facilities in schools. The annual event, with almost 180 participants from different communities around Suva, is a platform used to share awareness and information about menstruation and its related issues. 'Whatever that is held as taboo does not make sense now – times have changed. We need to talk about periods, we need to make our voices louder so that we can have respectable dignified experiences when we get our periods and unless we have those open and honest conversations, we are never going to come out of this cycle of stigmatising periods. It is our responsibility to ensure that our menstrual needs and health is well taken care of,' FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh said. Ms Singh made the remarks during an intergenerational panel facilitated during the programme that included shared experiences from panelists in their different stages of the menstrual cycle. 'Periods are normal. It is natural. It is your body talking to you. If you don't get your period, then you know something is wrong. It is not something you should be ashamed of, it's a living breathing rhythm that reminds me of the fact that I am a woman,' said Jessica Work, International Planned Parenthood Fiji representative. Another panelist, Shurti Sharma, a graduate of FWRM's (GIRLS) Program highlighted the need for schools to integrate menstrual health and hygiene learning in the curriculum. 'Make safe spaces in schools for students to talk openly about menstruation and the experiences you go through. A lot of the times, teachers are often shying away from these conversations and the risk is messages and information are often not being shared accurately, 'Shurti said. FWRM believes in more awareness and information on sexual and reproductive health in our educational curriculums, especially targeted towards our girls. Comprehensive Sexuality Education would ensure that topics such as menstrual health and hygiene is delivered in a much more effective way. Other issues raised during the event was the need to provide free menstrual products and to avail them in schools, restrooms, prisons and other public places; the removal of the shame of being on your period and the need for men to attend such events to learn more about women's bodies and to understand the experiences women have with their periods. The programme included partners who collaborated with FWRM to open up booths for information sharing and awareness on a range of issues such as menstrual health and hygiene, myths, taboos, reproductive health, bodily autonomy and more. Let's Talk Periods 2025 was supported by the Australian Government in partnership with Pacific Menstrual Health Network and Water Aid. 'It begins with us. Those of you who have come here, you have probably come with younger members of your families. It is up to you now to go back and have conversations about normalising periods beginning from your homes,'Ms Singh added.
Scoop
01-06-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Break The Silence On Periods, Change Mindsets
Let us break the silence, change mindsets and start openly talking about periods. This was the sentiment shared today at the Fiji Women's Rights Movement Let's Talk Periods festival held in Suva to mark World Menstrual Health Day this week. Opening the event, FWRM Governance Board Chair called for an end to the stigma on periods and advocating for better WASH facilities in schools. The annual event, with almost 180 participants from different communities around Suva, is a platform used to share awareness and information about menstruation and its related issues. 'Whatever that is held as taboo does not make sense now - times have changed. We need to talk about periods, we need to make our voices louder so that we can have respectable dignified experiences when we get our periods and unless we have those open and honest conversations, we are never going to come out of this cycle of stigmatising periods. It is our responsibility to ensure that our menstrual needs and health is well taken care of,' FWRM Executive Director Nalini Singh said. Ms Singh made the remarks during an intergenerational panel facilitated during the programme that included shared experiences from panelists in their different stages of the menstrual cycle. 'Periods are normal. It is natural. It is your body talking to you. If you don't get your period, then you know something is wrong. It is not something you should be ashamed of, it's a living breathing rhythm that reminds me of the fact that I am a woman,' said Jessica Work, International Planned Parenthood Fiji representative. Another panelist, Shurti Sharma, a graduate of FWRM's (GIRLS) Program highlighted the need for schools to integrate menstrual health and hygiene learning in the curriculum. 'Make safe spaces in schools for students to talk openly about menstruation and the experiences you go through. A lot of the times, teachers are often shying away from these conversations and the risk is messages and information are often not being shared accurately, 'Shurti said. FWRM believes in more awareness and information on sexual and reproductive health in our educational curriculums, especially targeted towards our girls. Comprehensive Sexuality Education would ensure that topics such as menstrual health and hygiene is delivered in a much more effective way. Other issues raised during the event was the need to provide free menstrual products and to avail them in schools, restrooms, prisons and other public places; the removal of the shame of being on your period and the need for men to attend such events to learn more about women's bodies and to understand the experiences women have with their periods. The programme included partners who collaborated with FWRM to open up booths for information sharing and awareness on a range of issues such as menstrual health and hygiene, myths, taboos, reproductive health, bodily autonomy and more. Let's Talk Periods 2025 was supported by the Australian Government in partnership with Pacific Menstrual Health Network and Water Aid. 'It begins with us. Those of you who have come here, you have probably come with younger members of your families. It is up to you now to go back and have conversations about normalising periods beginning from your homes,'Ms Singh added.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Access to dignified menstrual hygiene practices should be a right, says Thamizhachi
We are one-quarter of the way through the 21st century, yet menstrual health is still seen as a private matter, whispered about behind closed doors. However, experts argue that it is high time menstrual health be recognised as a public health issue affecting millions of women and adolescents worldwide. From the moment Sowmya Simhan, a disability activist, who spent over four decades of her early and professional life in a caliper or crutches, got ready to school or work, and returned home, there was no space to address the discomfort or the stigma that came with changing a sanitary napkin. At an event organised by Sanitation First, in collaboration with the office of the Lok Sabha MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian, to mark World Menstrual Health Day 2025, Ms. Simhan explained how she had to fit into a world not designed for her needs and faced long days in classrooms and offices without privacy or proper facilities to manage her menstrual health. According to T.S. Padmapriya, Chief Executive of Sanitation First, a study of 8000 women conducted by their organisation paints a stark picture. One in three women suffers from some form of menstrual disorder and one in four women and one in three adolescents experience heavy menstrual bleeding, a condition that, when untreated, can lead to moderate or severe anaemia. Thiripurasundari Thiyagarajan, a sexual and reproductive health expert, pointed out that women in unorganised sectors — such as domestic workers, sanitation workers, and agricultural labourers — are often the hardest hit. 'We need to demand dignified spaces, because menstrual health and safety are not just the responsibility of individual workers,' Dr. Thiyagarajan said. Panelists also discussed actionable policy opportunities, data-driven research, transgender inclusion, and implementation strategies for inclusive menstrual health. Ms. Thangapandian, who was part of a panel with experts including Georgina Harding, Chief Executive Officer, The Cycle, stressed the need for radical policy changes that treat menstrual health as a right, urging collaboration between Health, Labour, and Education departments to create inclusive solutions. She highlighted the importance of incorporating marginalised voices, especially women in rural areas, in decision-making and called for equal gender representation in policy-making panels to ensure more inclusive and sensitive approaches to menstrual health.
Irish Independent
28-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
‘It strips them of dignity' – more than 500m women across the world suffer due to period poverty, Irish charity says
ActionAid Ireland said today that millions of women, including hundreds of thousands in Gaza, lack access to safe menstrual products. The organisation added that this crisis fuels gender inequality and compromises women and girls' health and hygiene, forcing many to miss school, work, or social activities because they cannot afford menstrual care. Speaking ahead of World Menstrual Health Day tomorrow, ActionAid Ireland CEO, Karol Balfe, called for meaningful action in Ireland and abroad to tackle period poverty. She appealed for the universal provision of free menstrual hygiene products in schools, shelters, and public institutions to ensure that no girl or woman misses school or work due to lack of access. Ms Balfe added that this crisis is not 'just a health issue' but a 'gender equality issue' in Ireland and across the world. 'When women and girls cannot access safe, affordable menstrual products, it strips them of dignity and opportunity,' she said. She also highlighted the situation in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of women are unable to access period products. 'Hundreds of thousands of women in Gaza, on top of bombardments, air strikes and starvation, are suffering due to the fact they can't access menstrual products, soap and clean underwear during their periods. "The situation has been exacerbated following the aid blockade introduced by the Israeli Government on Gaza 12 weeks ago. 'Imagine being forced to miss school or work because you cannot afford a tampon or menstrual pad. Imagine bleeding through newspaper or rags because there's nothing else when you have your monthly period. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more "Now imagine doing this while living in Gaza, under constant bombardment, in a freezing cold tent, with no hygiene kits, clean underwear, safe water, soap, or access to a toilet,' she added. ActionAid Ireland is now appealing to governments, such as Ireland, to provide women and girls with period products and other essentials during humanitarian crises, and fund free period product initiatives in low and middle-income countries. The charity is also calling on governments and NGOs to support education on menstrual health and rights, counter stigma on this topic, and fund grassroots women-led organisations to educate communities about menstruation, fight period shaming, and abolish dangerous customs. 'Menstruation is not dangerous,' Ms Balfe continued. 'It's not dirty. It's not a curse. It's a natural part of life – yet it's menstruation that causes unimaginable suffering for millions of girls and women around the world.' "In some parts, traditions and norms persist that mean that girls and women are forced to isolate themselves during their menstruation. 'This type of isolation can lead to both physical and mental illness – and in the worst case, danger to life. "It is a clear example of how myths and stigma surrounding menstruation create serious consequences for girls' and women's health, safety and human rights,' the CEO added.
