As part of maintaining the health and well-being of individuals who menstruate educating adolescent women and girls on the proper menstrual hygiene practices, such as using clean and safe menstrual products, washing regularly, and managing menstrual waste properly, as well promote gender equality and empowering individuals to participate fully in society, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Advisory Panel with supported from partners on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 commemorated the World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
The WMH day which was held at the theater of the University of Liberia – Fendell Campus was observed under the Global Theme: “Creating a World where every Individual Has Access to Safe and Dignified Menstrual Hygiene Management,” while Liberia will mark the day under the national theme: “Menstrual is a Must, Let’s Make Menstrual Products Accessible, Affordable, and Create a Safe Environment for Hygiene Management.”
World Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD, MH Day) is an annual awareness day celebrated globally on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management worldwide.
The day was initiated by the German-based NGO WASH United in 2013 and first celebrated in 2014. May 28 was chosen as it correlates with the average menstrual cycle length of 28 days, with individuals menstruating approximately five days each month, and May being the fifth month of the year.
The day’s celebration is part of ongoing global efforts to break taboos and end the stigma surrounding menstruation, raise awareness about the challenges regarding access to menstrual products, educate about menstruation, and promote period-friendly sanitation facilities.
Recognizing the importance of this day’s celebration, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP), through the Adolescent Girls Division in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Advisory Panel, brought together over 200 out-of-school adolescent girls from several slum communities in Montserrado County and its environs to observe the day by heightening awareness.
Providing an overview, the Minister of Gender Gbeme Horace-Kollie admonished adolescent girls to be proud of their menstrual period, asserting that without menstruation there would be no one to give birth to by a woman. She admonished young men to be supportive of women before, during, and after their menstrual period. The gender Minister stated that with collective action, menstrual will be a non-issue to confront women and girls. “Together we can make menstrual a nonissue.”
Minister Horace-Kollie further assured the young women of the ministry’s willingness to collaborate with partners to make sanatory pads available for all girls across the country.
At the same time, Action-Aid Liberia has called on the national government to remove tariffs from the imputation of sanatory pads. Actionaid added that it is essential to the Academic growth of girls and adolescent women across the country.
The negative impact of improper menstrual hygiene usually causes girls to miss school days during their menstrual cycle due to a lack of access to clean menstrual products and proper sanitation facilities. Therefore, this leads to a significant disruption in their education and negatively impacts their academic performance.
Socioeconomic barriers also make it difficult for girls to afford menstrual products and access clean sanitation facilities. This leads to exacerbated challenges they face in maintaining proper menstrual hygiene and attending school regularly, ultimately impacting their educational outcomes and future opportunities.
Action-Aid Liberia stated the issue of improper menstrual hygiene is crucial for promoting girls’ education in Liberia and ensuring that all individuals have equal opportunities to learn and thrive. The group added that the call for the removal of tariffs from menstrual pads is essential to the academic and socioeconomic sustainability of all girls in Liberia.
