Global Menstrual Hygiene Day 2015 was observed on Thursday in Bangladesh along with 185 countries across the world to bring together individuals, organizations, social businesses and the media to create a united and strong voice for women and girls around the world, helping to break the silence around menstrual hygiene management.
As part of this program Water and Sanitation for Urban Poor (WSUP) Bangladesh and NGO Forum for Public Health jointly organized a rally and procession in the Mirpur slum areas in the city to sensitize the most vulnerable women folk residing in city slums about the importance of menstrual hygiene. The rally was addressed among others by Dhaka City Corporation Ward Commissioner Rashida Akter Jhorna, Principal of Pallabi Degree College Hosneara Begum, Project Manager of WSUP-NGO Forum M Nurun Nabi and Hygiene Specialist of WSUP Nasreen Akter. Slum dwellers, community leaders and local elite participated the rally.
Addressing the rally the speakers pointed out that in the slum area of Dhaka city about 0.8 million women are facing challenges of menstrual hygiene leaving their overall health condition in a vulnerable state. The adolescent girls are the worst victim of poor menstrual hygiene, they said stressing on the need of huge motivational activities in city slums to aware the women, particularly the adolescent girls.
The speakers pointed out that perpetuate taboos and social stigmas around menstruation that limit women and girls in their daily life, causing them to feel ashamed about a natural and normal bodily function. They underscored the need for social awareness to overcome those taboos and social stigmas.
Menstrual Hygiene Day helps to address the challenges and hardships many women and girls face during their menstruation, but also to highlight the positive and innovative solutions being taken to address these challenges.
The day catalyzes a growing, global movement that recognizes and supports girls and women’s rights and build partnerships among those partners on national and local level.
It is an opportunity to engage in policy dialogue and actively advocate for the integration of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) into global, national and local policies, programs and projects.
