Shahzad Rasheed
On this Global Menstrual Hygiene Day 2023, Blue Veins a Not for Profit Organization brings attention to an often overlooked but essential issue – the need for safe and dignified menstrual hygiene management among refugee and migrant women and girls. Every woman and girl has the right to manage her menstruation in a clean and healthy way, yet for those displaced from their homes, this can be a daunting challenge. This years global theme is “Making Menstruation a Normal Fact of Life by 2030”
Refugee and migrant women and girls face unique barriers in accessing appropriate menstrual hygiene materials and facilities. Limited availability of sanitary products, inadequate washing and disposal facilities, and a lack of privacy can create a situation where maintaining menstrual hygiene is both physically challenging and mentally distressing.
“In the midst of displacement and crisis, menstruation does not stop,” says Sana Ahmad Program Coordinator Blue Veins “We must ensure that these women and girls are not further marginalized because of their natural bodily functions. They deserve to manage their periods safely, privately, and with dignity.”
On this significant day, Blue Veins is advocating for targeted interventions to improve the menstrual hygiene experiences of refugee and migrant women and girls. This includes improving the availability and accessibility of menstrual hygiene products in refugee camps and settlements, ensuring that sanitary facilities meet the specific needs of menstruating women and girls, and providing comprehensive menstrual health education.
Blue Veins, with the valuable support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), is proactively addressing this issue. Together, we are raising awareness about the challenges faced in accessing menstrual products, the importance of menstrual education, and the need for period-friendly sanitation facilities. Our work focuses on an audience of over 5000 Afghan women and girls who are ACC cardholders and undocumented in Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera & Haripur Districts. providing them with dignity kits that will meet their hygiene needs for up to six months.
In addition, the organization has developed Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) material in Urdu, Dari, and Pashto languages on menstrual hygiene, striving to break language barriers to ensure the message of menstrual hygiene reaches all corners of our society.
In Pakistan, this stigma is often particularly acute. Women and girls can be stigmatized, excluded, and discriminated against simply because they menstruate. In some cases, they are even excluded from everyday activities due to myths and misconceptions about menstruation. Such practices can lead to feelings of embarrassment and shame, lower self-esteem, and less engagement in society.
Amna Durrani Program Director of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Commission on the Status of Women Said” “Our goal is not just about making sanitary products accessible, it’s about transforming societal attitudes. It’s about letting every woman and girl know that she doesn’t have to be ashamed of her period.”
In a troubling twist, sanitary napkins – essential items for menstrual hygiene – are categorized as ‘luxury items’ by the government. This misclassification not only increases their cost, making them unaffordable for many but also sends a discouraging message about the importance of menstrual hygiene.
“We cannot allow this situation to continue,” says Qamar Naseem Co-Chair of End Violence Against Women & Girls Alliance “We are calling for the government to reclassify sanitary products from luxury items to essential items. Furthermore, we urge comprehensive educational initiatives to dispel the harmful myths and stigmas associated with menstruation.”
This Global Menstrual Hygiene Day, join us in our commitment to making menstruation a normal part of life for all women and girls, no matter where they are or what circumstances they live in, by 2030. Let’s ensure that every woman and girl can manage her menstruation safely, without shame or stigma.