Kathmandu, May 30: The Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Partners’ Alliance (MHM PA) organised a panel talk on a topic relating to menstruation and female health. With support of GIZ Nepal, the event took place on the occasion of the Menstrual Hygiene Day that concluded on May 28.
Participating panelists–activists and politicians like Bhumika Shrestha from Blue Diamond Society and Prof Dr Sangeeta Singh from the National Planning Commission– discussed issues like religious, cultural and social restrictions due to menstruation, and the problem of poor menstrual health and hygiene facilities and its mental, social and health impacts.
Gender based violence and environmental hazards were other topics at the event. The participants stressed the collective need for a policy framework to address such menstruation issues, and its impact to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Menstrual Health Day movement aims to increase awareness and action towards their common goal:
This means, a world where the taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation are vanished and where everyone has access to menstrual products, period education and period-friendly toilets. The lack of education, existing taboos and stigma is blamed for causing poor menstrual hygiene and harm the social status of women and girls.
“We believe that all women and girls (all menstruating people) around the world should be able to enfold their full potential without shame,” according to the Embassy of Germany in Nepal.
