The document discusses Menstrual Hygiene Day, which aims to break taboos around menstruation and raise awareness of good menstrual hygiene practices. It will take place on May 28, 2015 with events worldwide. This year's theme is "Let's end the hesitation around menstruation" to challenge views of menstruation as shameful. Many countries still have cultural taboos that limit access to menstrual supplies and information. The day hopes to strengthen government commitments to improving access to such resources and empowering discussion of this natural process.

1. FOR
IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
dedicated
to
ending
the
hesitation
around
menstruation
Worldwide,
2015:
“Let’s
end
the
hesitation
around
menstruation”
are
the
words
that
will
be
heard
across
the
world
on
the
second
annual
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
on
28
May
2015.
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
(MH
Day)
is
an
awareness
platform
that
works
year-­‐round
to
break
taboos
and
raise
awareness
about
the
importance
of
good
menstrual
hygiene
management
(MHM)
for
women
and
adolescent
girls.
Initiated
by
WASH
United
in
2014,
the
day
has
garnered
the
support
of
over
230
global
partners
that
are
unified
in
their
commitment
to
make
good
menstrual
health
and
hygiene
a
priority
worldwide.
Despite
the
fact
that
menstruation
is
a
healthy
biological
process,
in
many
places
all
over
the
world
it
is
approached
with
hesitance
and
misinformation
because
of
deeply–rooted
cultural
taboos.
The
silence
around
menstruation
limits
women’s
and
adolescent
girls’
access
to
relevant
and
important
information
about
their
bodies,
directly
affecting
their
health,
education
and
human
rights:
• In
many
traditional
Hindu
homes
in
India,
girls
and
women
face
restrictive
taboos
around
menstruation,
such
as
being
denied
entry
to
the
temple
and
the
kitchen
• In
many
parts
of
sub-­‐Saharan
Africa,
girls
can
miss
up
to
5
days
of
school
a
month
or
drop
out
entirely
due
to
insufficient
access
to
water,
sanitation
and
hygiene
(WASH)
facilities
and
sanitary
supplies
(SNV/IRC
International
Water
&
Sanitation
Centre:
Study
on
menstrual
management
in
Uganda,
2013)
• Despite
their
widespread
availability,
many
low-­‐income
and/or
homeless
girls
and
women
in
the
inner
cities
of
the
US
simply
cannot
afford
sanitary
supplies.
On
the
first
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
in
2014,
events
took
place
all
over
the
world,
with
politicians
and
representatives
from
health,
education
and
gender
ministries
in
attendance.
This
year,
the
focus
will
be
to
“end
the
hesitation
around
menstruation”
and
challenge
societal
norms
that
claim
that
periods
are
shameful
or
dirty.
‘’Breaking
down
global
taboos
so
that
we
can
discuss
this
natural
bodily
function
has
positive
impacts
beyond
a
woman’s
reproductive
health,’’
says
Dr.
Dani
Barrington,
WASH
Specialist
and
Strategic
Advisor
for
MH
Day
in
Australia,
“it
is
of
vital
importance
to
her
dignity.’’
For
partners
working
in
developing
countries,
the
day
is
not
only
an
opportunity
to
raise
awareness,
but
also
to
strengthen
government
accountability
around
MHM.
In
Kenya,
the
Ministry
of
Health
is
developing
a
national
MHM
strategy
that
is
set
to
launch
on
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
2015.
This
is
a
monumental
step
that
Alfred
Muli,
MH
Day
National
Coordinator
for
Kenya
and
partners
working
with
the
Ministry
are
particularly
excited
about:
“The
development
of
this
strategy
is
extremely
important
because
it
shows
that
the
government
is
committed
to
making
sure
that
MHM
materials
are
accessible
and
affordable.
This
is
great
because
this
is
something
that
MH
Day
partners
here
have
been
working
really
hard
year-­‐round
to
push.”
Beyond
Kenya,
to
help
ensure
that
the
collective
voice
of
MH
Day
is
heard
loud
and
clear,
other
partner
coalitions
are
forming
to
engage
governments
and
coordinate
stakeholders.
‘‘The
continuous
support
shown
by
the
government,
civil
society
organizations,
development
partners,
donor
agencies
and
media
in
Nepal
is
really
encouraging’’,
remarks
Pema
Lhaki,
Deputy
Executive
Director
of
the
Nepal
Fertility
Care
Center
and
MH
Day
National
Coordinator
for
Nepal,
“but
most
of
all,
I
am
encouraged
every
time
I
say
the
word
‘menstruation’
to
a
woman
or
girl
in
Nepal.
The
smile
that
appears
on
their
face
is
a
smile
that
starts
the
conversation
about
something
they
have
never
really
talked
about
before.’’
To
help
break
the
silence
and
lend
your
voice
to
the
global
movement,
use
#MenstruationMatters
on
social
media.
A
press
kit
and
advocacy
materials
are
available
online
at
www.menstrualhygieneday.org.
Contact:
Danielle
Keiser
danielle.keiser@wash-­‐united.org
Ph:
+49-­‐30-­‐5557-­‐6806-­‐0
###

2. Additional
quotes
about
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
2015:
“It’s
really
exciting
to
see
the
momentum
growing
as
we
move
towards
celebrating
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
for
the
second
year.
I
am
truly
inspired
by
our
partners’
passions
to
help
break
the
silence
around
menstruation.
There
is
still
a
long
way
to
go
with
regards
to
ensuring
that
every
woman
and
girls’
menstrual
hygiene
needs
are
met.
Therefore
we
as
the
Secretariat
of
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
invite
every
global
and
local
voice
to
join
in
and
help
‘end
the
hesitation
around
menstruation’.
–
Ina
Jurga,
Head
of
WASH
in
Schools,
WASH
United
(Germany)
and
MH
Day
Global
Coordinator
“In
Pakistan
it
is
really
difficult
to
openly
discuss
menstruation,
even
with
women.
The
first
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
in
2014
helped
to
start
breaking
the
silence.
And
now
we
are
discussing
the
issues
with
men
too.
This
is
how
we
are
trying
to
change
attitudes
towards
menstruation
and
the
health
issues
that
come
along
with
it
in
the
male-­‐dominated
society
of
Pakistan.”
–
Ikhtiar
Khaskhelly,
Executive
Director
of
KRDO
and
MH
Day
National
Coordinator
for
Pakistan
“Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
makes
audible
and
visible
a
growing
transnational
movement
that
promotes
body
literacy
and
autonomy,
and
fundamentally,
gender
equality.
We
need
everyone,
everywhere,
to
speak
out
and
listen
up:
menstrual
health
is
a
matter
of
human
rights!’’
–
Professor
Chris
Bobel,
President-­‐Elect
of
the
Society
of
Menstrual
Cycle
Research
and
author
of
New
Blood:
Third
Wave
Feminism
and
the
Politics
of
Menstruation
"Many
girls
with
disabilities
are
excluded
from
MHM
interventions
because
of
the
misconceptions
surrounding
disability.
More
than
ever
we
need
to
keep
the
flow
going
and
break
the
silence
on
MHM.
I’m
happy
to
see
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day
doing
exactly
that."
–
Chukwuma
Kingsley,
Project
Coordinator,
Inclusive
Friends
(Nigeria)
and
MH
Day
Strategic
Advisor
"We
are
mobilizing
partners
to
turn
Washington
D.C.
into
a
hub
for
exciting
activities
around
Menstrual
Hygiene
Day,
ranging
from
engaging
policymakers
to
promoting
alternative,
sustainable
products
to
putting
on
exhibitions
for
local
school
children‘’-­‐
Sarah
Fry,
Senior
Hygiene
and
School
WASH
Advisor
at
WASHplus
and
MH
Day
National
Coordinator
for
Washington
D.C.