A recent New York Times opinion-editorial article cites Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020’s (PMA2020) Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) data briefs. The article, entitled, “Menstrual Pads Can’t Fix Prejudice,” focused on the topic of menstrual health and its role in international development, as well as the need to shift the cultural stigma that surrounds the topic of menstruation more broadly. The author highlighted PMA2020 MHM data to demonstrate that many women in low and middle-income contexts are using pieces of cloth to manage their monthly bleeding.
MHM is the practice of using clean materials to absorb menstrual blood that can be changed privately, safely, hygienically, and as often as needed throughout the duration of the menstrual cycle. MHM impacts multiple areas across the sustainable development goal agenda including health, education, gender equality, and water and sanitation. The PMA2020 project is one of the first large-scale assessments of MHM practices amongst women of reproductive age in 11 countries.
Photo Credit: Na Kim