Dignity First: Menstruation as a Human Right, Not a Crisis Afterthought
- 365healthdiaries
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
By Hamu Madzedze
Online Health and Gender Editor - Zimbabwe
Dignified Menstruation Opens the Gate to a Period-Friendly World, Justice, and Health.
Dignified menstruation is an entry gate towards a period-friendly world and SRHRJ, and that is the message advocates carried forward during the SHE & Rights session marking International Day of Action for Women’s Health and Menstrual Hygiene.
The session was organised by Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) and CNS with Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), and Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development Justice (APCAT Media).
Language matters, and so does dignity. Gender justice advocates are welcoming the May 2026 rebranding of PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovary Syndrome) to PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome). “The old name misdiagnosed the condition as simply ‘ovarian cysts.’ PMOS is a complex, systemic hormonal and metabolic disorder affecting 1 in 8 women worldwide, directly driving insulin resistance, mental health struggles, and irregular bleeding,” said Shobha Shukla, Coordinator and Host of SHE & Rights campaign and founder head of CNS.
Agrees Joie Cortina, menstrual health and dignity advocate, and Programme Officer of Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR): “Historically the lived experiences of women, especially in the so-called hard sciences, have always been relegated to the sidelines.
Cortina added that this welcome shift from PCOS to PMOS is reflective of listening and providing menstruators with an epistemic privilege. It means that with this understanding, this is not just a gynaecological issue and give advocates like us knowledge of a more holistic approach to health.”
A nurse and activist Radha Paudel in Nepal who is also the founder of the Global South Coalition Dignified Menstruation highlighted that dignified menstruation is rooted in right to dignity, right to freedom, right to equality and right to non-discrimination.
Paudel added that it means no matter whether menstruating persons are in the evacuation camp or refugee camp or camps for the war-affected population, or any climate or manmade disaster relief camps, we need to prioritise the needs and priorities of menstruators.
Radha challenges the conventional definition of menstrual discrimination which is widespread globally in various forms.
“Menstrual discrimination plays a vital role in construction of the unequal power relation, patriarchy and exclusion" said Paudel.
It is the departure point when we talk about the climate justice or menstrual product or any kind of rights for menstruators.
Paudel said that is why, beyond the distribution of the menstrual pads or accessibility issues, there is a need to think of menstruators as a human being.
"The words we use matter just as much as the products we provide. I am not saying ‘sanitary’ pad because our blood is clean it is pure blood that is why I call upon everyone to call it menstrual pad or menstrual product instead of ‘sanitary’ pad,” Paudel said
Paudel added that distribution of free menstrual pad or menstrual product is dehumanised and colonised mindset.
"The entire planning process misses out the needs and priorities of menstruators. if we really like to ensure dignified menstruation, we need to realise that it is not only our right to dignity, but it is rather a composite outcome of the right to dignity, right to freedom, right to equality and right to non-discrimination.”
SHE &Rights Coordinator and Host of SHE & Rights Shobha Shukla said there is a need to expose structural obstacles by highlighting how macro-economic issues (inflation or climate change) manifest directly on the bodies of menstruating individuals.
She said achieving a period-friendly world is becoming radically more complicated today in this anti-rights and anti-gender era.
"We are living through a poly-crisis ,a period defined by the simultaneous, overlapping pressures of runaway inflation, climate-induced disasters, supply chain disruptions, and systemic poverty,” said Shukla.
She also pointed out that 500 million people globally, experience period poverty every month, the poly-crisis has shifted menstrual hygiene from a basic healthcare right to an impossible financial trade-off. Families are increasingly forced to prioritize food and fuel over menstrual products
Shukla added that the crisis is visceral and personal.
Similar realities exist across Asia. “In Indonesia, period poverty is driven mostly by financial constraint and inadequate infrastructures.
"Climate change crisis and inflation effects women and girls especially during their menstruation period,” said Rita Widiadana, gender and health justice advocate, and former Editor of The Jakarta Post.
Widoadama added that in such crisis situations, women and girls lose their safe spaces, access to clean water and human dignity while facing increasing health risk.
"Indonesia had flooding, earthquake, conflicts where women and girls suffer in evacuation centres and the majority of girls who are living in low-income households, where sanitary pads is a luxury because when inflation comes, it means that the price of sanitary pads increases,” added Rita Widiadana.
She also noted that relief efforts often neglect the needs of menstruating girls and women in difficult and challenging situations because they ‘think’ food, water and medicines are the ‘essential priorities’ and menstrual products are ‘unimportant.’ Reality is far from this because menstrual products are not non-essential but critical for menstrual hygiene and dignity.
Across Africa, inflation is making menstrual products harder to reach. “Inflation has affected not only African countries but globally and one direct impact is rising prices of menstrual products. Menstrual products are not luxury items. Ground reality for so many households is that a lot of those who are menstruating, are unable to afford the very essential menstrual products. So many families are confronted with the dilemma if they should buy food for the household or a sanitary pad for those who are menstruating. And in many families, it is not just one girl who is menstruating which compounds the price for menstrual products. This forces families to end up stretching the products beyond safe use. For example, a pad if it is to be used for 6-8 hours, we find many people using it for longer hours or even for the whole day. This injustice has increased the susceptibility of young girls to reproductive tract infections. Also, menstruating girls and women are often left with no choice but to resort to unsafe alternatives, such as socks, dried dung, among others, which increases their susceptibility to reproductive tract infections,” said Angel Babirye, President, African Youth and Adolescent Network East and Southern Africa (AfriYAN ESA), and CEO of Us for Girls Foundation, Uganda.
"Girls are forced to miss school when they fail to access or afford menstrual products timely.”said Babirye
She added that the message is clear,periods do not pause for disaster.
“We need to realise that periods do not stop for wars or humanitarian crisis situations ,that is why we must integrate menstrual health in disaster preparedness plans"added Babirye
She added that menstrual health must not come as an ‘afterthought’ when we struck with disasters or crisis situations because it is not just about the pads but also access to clean water, privacy and other essential needs of girls and women to feel safe and dignified.
One acute need is to promote menstrual literacy also we need to engage boys and men.
If a menstruating person has period pain, it needs to be understood by everyone that it is real experience she and many others go through,” added Angel Babirye.
Menstrual discrimination is reinforcing patriarchy and its unequal power relation and exclusion. Menstruating girls and women face this at homes, education system, and all along,” it was highlighted during the session.
“We need to seriously incorporate the dignified menstruation in all health, education, information, behavioural change communication since all of humanity is formed from blood and the womb, menstruation is life-affirming rather than a source of shame or impurity.”
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