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Together for a period-friendly world
Menstrual Hygiene Day takes place every year on May 28 and has grown into a massive global movement over the past 10 years. Our joint mission: Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.
“Together” is crucial. No one can solve the menstruation-related challenges women* face alone. But together, we can.
MH Day creates a powerful wave of attention for menstruation each year through media coverage, events, and social media campaigns. This global momentum drives conversation around menstruation and puts pressure on key institutions—governments, UN agencies, and corporates—to take action, from launching programs to adopting new policies.
About MH Day
Time was, only 10 years ago, that menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) was buried under a thick layer of silence. Hardly anyone talked about the issue in public, and it was not mentioned in the media. All due to the taboo and stigma surrounding it.
Silence is deadly for social issues. When they’re covered in silence, challenges that surround them don’t get addressed and they don’t become relevant for decision-makers.
That’s why WASH United initiated a global day dedicated to menstruation: the Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day), on 28 May. On the first MH Day in 2014, 155 partner organisations participated and 89 media pieces about menstruation were published.
Grown into a global movement
Since then, MH Day has taken place every year and, over the past 10 years, has grown into a global movement. In 2024, our monitoring tools tracked 23,400 pieces of media coverage, and the number of partner organizations has exceeded 1,150.
Their joint mission: Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.
“Together” is crucial. No one can solve the menstruation-related challenges women* face alone. But together, we can.
MH Day serves as a catalyst
The campaign period of MH Day is around May 28. During this time, MH Day serves as a catalyst. Media around the world now have MH Day in their editorial calendars and use the occasion to publish menstruation-related content, including content about MH Day partners. This, combined with events and social media campaigns in particular by partners, generates a massive wave of attention and drives conversation around menstruation worldwide.
A powerful wave
This wave is so powerful that key institutions – such as governments, UN agencies, and big corporates – are pressured to act, for example to launch new large-scale programmes or adopt new policies.
Together for a period-friendly world
The common mission of the MH Day movement is to create a period-friendly world.
A period-friendly world is a world in which menstruation is accepted as a normal fact of life and is no longer stigmatised. It is a world in which everyone is educated about menstruation from an early age. In a period-friendly world, everyone has access to quality and affordable period products of their choice. Everyone has access to period-friendly toilets. And in a period-friendly world, menstrual health services are available to everyone. It is a world where no one is held back just because they menstruate.
MH Day is in mission mode
Instead of annual themes, the Menstrual Hygiene Day movement now unites behind one long-term mission: Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld.
This powerful broad mission statement helps us to focus on our common goal and enables everyone in our diverse movement to contribute in their own way. It underscores our joint belief that – yes – a period friendly world is possible within our generation and emphasizes our joint commitment to work together to make it happen.
Neither a niche nor a luxury topic
Currently, more than 500 million women and girls lack the resources and support they need to manage their periods safely and with dignity. Menstruation-related challenges affect the educational and income-earning opportunities and the health of women and girls all over the world. They undermine their ability to participate fully and equally in society. The global economic impact is immense. Menstruation-related challenges are estimated to cost societies around the world hundreds of billions of USD in productivity losses, increased health costs, and reduced overall economic growth every year.
And we have the power to change that.
The 5 areas of a period-friendly world
In a period-friendly world, we have made progress across 5 key areas of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH):
1. Period-friendly social environment
A period-friendly social environment is the foundation of a period-friendly world. It paves the way for progress in all other areas. As long as menstruation is stigmatised, the challenges surrounding it remain confined to private conversations. They don’t enter the public discourse. And if they’re not part of the public discourse, they can’t be addressed or solved at a systemic level.
2. Period education
Period education is essential for menstrual health and hygiene. Lack of period education increases health risks and contributes to girls missing or dropping out of school. This, in turn, can result in reduced professional opportunities and income later in life. When girls and boys learn from a young age that menstruation is normal, societal acceptance grows.
In a period-friendly world, everyone is educated about menstruation from an early age.
3. Access to period products
Access to menstrual products is fundamental for women’s and girls’ health and dignity. Without access, women and girls miss out on work and school and risk health problems, both physical and mental. It disrupts normal participation in daily life, resulting in a loss of productivity.
Quality products that are effective and safe need to be accessible and affordable for everyone.
In a period-friendly world, everyone has access to and can afford period products of their choice.
4. Period-friendly toilets
Period-friendly toilets are essential for managing menstruation hygienically and with dignity. Lack of access can lead to infections and psychological distress. When educational institutions and workplaces don’t have period-friendly toilets, girls and women often miss school or work.
In a period-friendly world, everyone has access to period-friendly toilets.
5. Menstrual health services
Timely diagnosis, treatment, and care for disorders and diseases linked to menstruation are crucial for women’s health. Menstrual disorders are serious medical conditions that require professional attention like any other health issue. Chronic, untreated menstrual disorders and diseases can impact all aspects of life. Without access to menstrual health services, women and girls face long-term medical and economic consequences.
Menstrual health services include access to trained medical staff and self-care practices such as cycle tracking and pain relief methods. Menstrual literacy is essential for women and girls to know when to seek medical assistance.
In a period-friendly world, menstrual health services are available to everyone.
A period-friendly world is possible – but how?
10 years ago, the challenges related to menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) were covered in silence. Hardly anyone talked about menstruation and even fewer organisations tackled the problems surrounding the issue.
What did it take to change that?
Courageous pioneers who led the way and inspired others to join. And an initial spark like MH Day on 28 May. A day when we all come together to put a global spotlight on the issue. A spotlight that makes MHH more visible and shows just how important it is. And that increases the pressure on governments and other institutions to act.
Together, not alone – this simple guiding principle has been at the core of MH Day since its launch in 2014. MH Day is now a global movement with more than 1,150 partners, from small and large NGOs to governments, corporations and UN agencies.
This diversity is an asset. It enables MH Day partners to build powerful collaborations to accelerate progress towards a period friendly world on and beyond MH Day, such as:
- NGOs that coordinate their MH Day activities or build coalitions to reach even more people, maximise media engagement or push governments to step up action.
- Corporate partners that support government programmes to end period poverty or collaborate with NGOs to push back period stigma or promote menstruation education for girls and boys.
- Governments that develop new policies and programmes in coordination with NGOs and UN partners.
- Let’s not forget one of our most important allies: the media. For MH Day 2014, we tracked 89 pieces of media coverage. For MH Day 2024, it was 23,400. Media around the world now have MH Day in their editorial calendars and report extensively on the topic and activities of MH Day partners. Their role is critical to reach the mainstream of society and to engage a men and boys.
Together with men and boys
A period-friendly world is in the best interest of everybody, including men and boys.
Why? Because at home, at work and at school, men and boys have women and girls they care about, such as partners, mothers, sisters and colleagues. And because a period-friendly world is a more prosperous world for everyone.
