By Fatima Saka
Menstrual health advocates have raised concerns over the systemic neglect of menstruating individuals in humanitarian responses, warning that failure to prioritise menstrual dignity is reinforcing inequality, exclusion and health risks across crisis-affected populations.
Speaking at a global “SHE & Rights” session marking the International Day of Action for Women’s Health and Menstrual Hygiene, Nepalese nurse and activist Radha Paudel said menstruation must be recognised as a fundamental human rights issue, not a secondary concern in emergency planning.
Paudel stressed that dignified menstruation is rooted in the rights to dignity, freedom, equality and non-discrimination, noting that these rights are often overlooked in refugee camps, disaster zones and conflict settings.
She challenged prevailing humanitarian frameworks that focus narrowly on distributing menstrual products, arguing that such approaches ignore deeper structural inequalities and fail to recognise menstruators as full human beings with diverse needs.
“Menstrual discrimination plays a vital role in constructing unequal power relations and exclusion,” Paudel said, adding that policies frequently fail to account for persons with disabilities and LGBTQI individuals.
The discussion highlighted how global crises—including inflation, climate change and conflict—are worsening period poverty, forcing millions to choose between basic necessities and menstrual products.
Shobha Shukla, coordinator of the SHE & Rights campaign, described the current global context as a “poly-crisis,” where overlapping economic and environmental pressures are pushing menstrual health further down the list of priorities.
“For over 500 million people experiencing period poverty monthly, menstrual hygiene has shifted from a basic healthcare right to an impossible financial trade-off,” she said.
Advocates noted that in many low-income households, rising costs of menstrual products have forced unsafe practices, including prolonged use of single pads or resorting to unhygienic alternatives, increasing the risk of infections.
Angel Babirye of the African Youth and Adolescent Network said the situation is particularly severe in Africa, where families often prioritise food over menstrual products, leading to school absenteeism among girls.
“Menstrual products are not luxury items,” Babirye said. “Yet many are forced to treat them as such due to economic hardship.”
Experiences from countries including the Philippines and Indonesia underscored how disasters disproportionately affect menstruating individuals. Advocates reported that relief efforts often prioritise food and water while overlooking essential menstrual needs such as clean water, privacy and underwear.
Joie Cortina of the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights noted that displaced women and girls frequently lose access to basic items necessary to maintain dignity during menstruation.
Similarly, Indonesian advocate Rita Widiadana said women and girls in evacuation centres face heightened risks due to lack of infrastructure, clean water and safe spaces.
Experts also called for a shift in language and perception, urging stakeholders to abandon the term “sanitary pads” in favour of “menstrual products,” emphasising that menstruation is natural and not unclean.
They further advocated for integrating menstrual health into disaster preparedness plans, increasing menstrual literacy, and involving men and boys in awareness efforts.
The session also highlighted a recent development in women’s health terminology, as the International PCOS Network, in collaboration with The Lancet, renamed Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS), reflecting a broader understanding of the condition as a systemic disorder.
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Participants agreed that addressing menstrual discrimination requires confronting deep-rooted stigma, silence and policy gaps, warning that without systemic reforms, efforts to promote dignity will remain superficial.
They concluded that menstrual health must be recognised as central to gender justice and public health, especially in times of crisis where vulnerabilities are most exposed.
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