Menstrual health and dignity are essential to achieving gender equality, human rights, justice and well-being. Everyone who menstruates deserves access to safe infrastructures and products of their choice; complete, accurate information; and supportive environments to care for their periods with confidence and without stigma. When menstrual needs are unmet, it can lead to health risks, missed school or work, reduced participation in community life and impacting psychological wellbeing – overall reducing life opportunities for menstruators, as well as decreasing social and economic value for societies. Promoting menstrual health and dignity helps ensure that all people who menstruate can live, learn and work with dignity. By breaking taboos, improving access to infrastructures, products, information, support and fostering open dialogue, together we can take an important step toward equity, empowerment and inclusion for all.
A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity, in relation to the menstrual cycle.
* Different people menstruate including girls, women, transgender and non-binary persons.
Menstrual health and dignity are intricately connected to women and girls’ ability to exercise their rights. Poor menstrual health and dignity can negatively impact the extent to which women and girls enjoy certain rights including those to education, work, and health. Good menstrual health and dignity enable women to exercise and enjoy human rights on the basis of equality.
Thanks to its cross-cutting nature, investing in menstrual health and dignity contributes to achieving multiple SDG goals: good health and wellbeing (goal 3), quality education (goal 4), gender equality (goal 5), clean water and sanitation (goal 6), economic growth (goal 8), reduced inequalities (goal 10) and responsible consumption and product (goal 12).
Menstrual health and dignity are closely linked to SRHR, shaping both biological and sociocultural experiences across life stages. Integrating them into SRHR frameworks can advance health, rights and gender equality. Since menstruation is often more acceptable to discuss, particularly with young people, it provides a relatable entry point to body and fertility literacy and encourages broader, more open conversations about SRHR.
Bleeding changes are a common side effect of hormonal contraception and have long been cited as a concern or a reason for discontinuation of contraceptive methods. Questions about menstruation and its connection to fertility, health, and contraceptives are common. Digital media has provided a great opportunity for dialogue with users, tracking engagement and soliciting feedback and questions from users - which frequently revolve around menstruation. Several youth-focused, user-centred design programmes have evolved to incorporate menstrual health and dignity as a critical component of adolescent and youth SRHR programmes. This includes PSI programmes such as MICHELE and OKY that are being implemented in Côte d’Ivoire since 2025.
Investing in menstrual health and dignity is a preventative investment in the health and wellbeing of women, girls and those who menstruate. A growing population will always have menstrual health and dignity-related needs. Currently around 500 million women - or one in four women of reproductive age in the world - face constraints in their needs to manage their menstruation well. This number will only grow. Poor menstrual health and dignity keep women out of the work force, which can be detrimental to women, community development and countries’ gross domestic product.
Investing in menstrual health and dignity
Advocating for and providing guidance and support to meaningfully integrate menstrual health and dignity into SRHR and WASH programming, policies, and funding – particularly by showcasing voices from the Global South.
Strengthening menstruators’ voices, choices and agency through comprehensive, human-rights based and period-positive menstrual health and dignity information.
Advocating to give consumers a choice about which period products she wants to use.
Building the evidence base for the integration of MH into SRHR and WASH programming.
Increasing global technical expertise on menstrual health.
Supporting social enterprises and strengthening the ecosystems in which they operate to improve access to menstrual products.
In 2018, with support from the Swedish Embassy, PSI-Zimbabwe developed a menstrual health (MH) program for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) aimed at reducing taboos and stigmas, improving knowledge about MH and its connection with sexual and reproductive health & rights (SRHR), and improving product access to support the overall wellbeing of AGYW in Zimbabwe.
Let’s Talk About It was a multi-media and multi-language campaign to address community stigma that perpetuates shame and prevents open discussions about MH and its link with sex and sexuality. The campaign portrayed girls and role models such as religious leaders, men, and boys to convey support for girls, ignite community discussion, and destigmatize menstruation. The campaign generated community discussion through radio spots on national and local radio; a live television show titled Unpacking the Period Silence; social media banners, videos, and live online shows featuring popular media personalities; and printed media including posters and brochures.
Peer mobilizers incorporated MH messaging and products into their work as an entry point for discussion about contraception and HIV, driving HIV and SRHR client flow across programmes. When the mobilizers were deployed with MH content, monthly uptake of modern contraception services increased by 150% from the previous month.
PSI-Zimbabwe worked with the Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) to improve youth-friendly guidelines for MH and to provide recommendations about the possible scale-up of the menstrual cup and reusable pad provision in future Government and donor investments. They identified youth-friendly outreach providers and created safe, non-judgmental environments for AGYWs to have questions answered.
For more resources on menstrual health and dignity, visit the Global Menstrual Collective.
Discover what’s happening at PSI-Europe
PSI Europe, PSI Malawi and Menstrual Health Action for Impact have developed a series of briefs on menstrual health and health systems in low- and middle-income countries.
Ilewa is one of PSI Europe's newly selected partners in the Sang pour Sang Uni.e.s Pour La Dignité project, providing environmentally friendly, accessible and reusable menstrual products for their local communities.
By empowering local social enterprises to become champions of menstrual health & dignity, this movement is fostering positive change.
PSI Europe, PSI Malawi and Menstrual Health Action for Impact have developed a series of briefs on menstrual health and health systems in low- and middle-income countries.
Ilewa is one of PSI Europe's newly selected partners in the Sang pour Sang Uni.e.s Pour La Dignité project, providing environmentally friendly, accessible and reusable menstrual products for their local communities.
PSI Europe, PSI Malawi and Menstrual Health Action for Impact have developed a series of briefs on menstrual health and health systems in low- and middle-income countries.
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