Menstrual hygiene management is often overlooked and there is a tendency for majority of the people to shy away from this topic. There is social stigma attached to it and therefore it is continually neglected despite being crucial to ensuring the health of girls and women.
As a result, there is a lack of awareness which is prevalent across all sections of society. Majority of girls and women do not have access to improved menstrual products which has far-reaching repercussions to their health and wellbeing.
Due to unhygienic menstrual practices, they become susceptible to infections which can often be fatal. Reproductive tract infections are 70 per cent more common in those who use unhygienic menstrual products such as cloths. In the long run, these practices can also lead to uterine cancer.
Nearly 36 per cent of adolescent girls lack basic menstruation knowledge before menarche. Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) knowledge among girls and women is very limited. Only 14 per cent of girls in rural areas use improved menstrual products during their menstruation.
It is more common to use old cloths, rags, cotton or tissue, according to a 2014 report by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives (MLGRDC). Similarly, in urban areas, only 21 per cent girls and women use improved products.
Majority of girls and women face several barriers when it comes to accessing safe menstrual products. First and foremost, there is a lack of knowledge and many are unaware of safe alternatives to using cloths or rags as a hygiene product.
Secondly, most sanitary napkins available in the market are often targeted to urban and elite consumers. Very few girls and women are able to afford sanitary napkins which are available in the market.
Moreover, due to widespread stigma regarding menstruation, women feel embarrassed to buy sanitary napkins from male shopkeepers. In rural areas, the situation is more difficult as most shops do not have menstruation hygiene products.
However, the government has been working tirelessly to ensure that more girls and women have access to necessary menstruation products.
It was announced last year that the government will distribute free sanitary napkins among poor women and adolescent girls. Poor women and girls can take free sanitary napkins from the family planning centers across the country.
The government also decided to exempt VAT and supplementary duty on imported raw materials required for manufacturing sanitary napkins. The price of sanitary pads is expected to be lowered by 40% if this exemption is factored in, making sanitary napkins accessible to more girls and women across the country.
The need for proper facilities for girls and women in schools, colleges, universities and workplaces still remains unmet in most areas of the country.
There are insufficient gender-separate school toilets as well as widespread poor toilet operations and maintenance (O&M). There is a lack of facilities for the supply and disposal of MHM materials.
In order to ensure equal participation of girls and women in education and the economy, these criteria must be met immediately. Lack of menstrual hygiene management facilities is responsible for poor attendance of girls in schools and colleges.
Over 40 per cent of girls miss school on an average of three day per month during their menstruation, resulting in poor performance at school. Most schools do not have a trash can inside the school toilet. 53 per cent of girls do not have do not have access to toilet with adequate privacy at school.
Moreover, in workplaces women’s productivity is also lowered due to lack of lack of menstrual hygiene management facilities. The situation is particularly bad in garments factories, which predominantly has female workers.
Despite the fact that the labour laws of the country require such facilities for women workers, supervisors often overlook the matter completely. Undoubtedly, improved MHM facilities would contribute in increasing the participation in the workforce and help to boost the economy of the country.
Menstrual hygiene management is also closely linked to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 3 of the SDGs aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. This cannot be ensured until the health of adolescent girls and women during menstruation is prioritized.
Goal 5 of the SGDs aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Lack of knowledge, lack of access to menstrual products and unavailability of proper facilities is a big hurdle for the empowerment of girls and women in the country.
MHM must be prioritized at the policymaking level to bring a change to the current scenario. Schools, colleges, universities, workplaces and other public areas must have gender-appropriate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, as well as facilities for the supply and disposal of MHM materials. This must be made mandatory and implemented strictly across the country.
Awareness-building is greatly needed to break the stigma surrounding menstruation. In order to change the perception of the general population, widespread campaigns must be carried out. Information on menstrual hygiene must be readily available, particularly to adolescents. We must bring up the issue at a public level more frequently in order to normalize it and erase the taboo on menstruation.
Synthia Kainath Nur works with Bangladesh Post
