Giving Compass' Take:

• NGOs in India are working together to decrease stigma around menstrual health and provide support and supplies to women and girls to help them thrive. 

• What are the biggest barriers girls face to adequate menstrual hygiene? How can donors help to build sustainable menstrual health solutions?  

• Learn how one organization is empowering women through menstrual education and enterprises. 

"Menstrual hygiene management is an important area of work for WaterAid in India and globally. Our approach is comprehensive, going beyond water, sanitation and hygiene services for MHM, to also focus on addressing taboos and creating an enabling environment to foster suitable change. Within MHM, an issue we are increasingly concerning ourselves with is providing information and access to a basket of choices and the management of menstrual waste. We believe that the disposal and treatment of menstrual waste have implications for the health of girls and women, as well as for the environment," said VK Madhavan, Chief Executive, WaterAid India.

PATH’s India country director, Neeraj Jain, while lauding the efforts of the Government for being among the clutch of countries spearheading this critical work, emphasized that PATH’s goal was to help reduce barriers to women and girls’ health and development by increasing awareness, access and use of affordable, acceptable menstrual hygiene products at scale. Globally PATH has focused its efforts in menstrual health efforts on working with partners to optimize products, develop markets, advocate and implement and evaluate programs and envisions bringing technical expertise towards developing robust, feasible disposable options which are available to all.

The need of the hour is to break the silence around menstruation. We need to understand the special disadvantages that women face while menstruating and account for it across the sanitation value chain.

The MHM Lab set up by WSSCC facilitated a demonstration on creating safe spaces to understand what menstruation is, discuss how to manage periods hygienically and learn about safe disposal.

Read the full article about menstrual health solutions at NewsVoir.