Menstrual Hygiene Day: “Make menstruation the norm of life”
Today, millions of women and girls around the world are stigmatized, isolated and discriminated against just because they are menstruating. It is unacceptable that, due to the natural function of the body, women and girls are still unable to receive education, attend school on time, work and participate equally in everyday life.
For the sixth year in a row, May 28 is World Menstrual Hygiene Day. Menstrual Hygiene Day is a global advocacy platform that brings together the voices and actions of global non-profit organizations, government agencies, individuals, the private sector and the media to promote good menstrual health and hygiene for all women and girls. The date May 28 was chosen because the average menstrual cycle is 28 days, and menstruation lasts an average of 5 days (May is the fifth month of the year). The purpose of this day is:
- Break the silence, raise awareness and change negative social norms around menstrual health, and
- Engage decision makers to raise political priority and catalyze action for the MH at the global, national and local levels.
As part of the implementation of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project, special attention is paid to aspects of menstrual health and work is underway to provide information support to the population and students of secondary schools in partnership with the National Healthy Lifestyle Center and rural health centers.
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The project plans to educate 16,000 girls about Menstrual Health over the life of the project through information activities and wide campaigns at the community and school levels. For this purpose, on May 28, 2022, a two-day information campaign was held among adolescent girls aged 12-16 in schools in the Vose district. This campaign was carried out in cooperation with facilitators of rural health centers in general education schools, where 8 schools were reached with the participation of about 500 girls and more than 10 teachers. In each school, a meeting was held with girls in grades 5-9. Health center facilitators held an open discussion on Menstrual Health and Hygiene, problems and difficulties that girls face during this period, myths and realities about menstruation and other issues regarding this aspect that are taboo and girls are not educated by parents or teachers. At the end of each meeting, the girls were given informational materials that were developed for the information activities of the Project.