Stakeholder Meeting on Menstrual Hygiene for Girls and Women in Developing Countries

A stakeholder meeting on the issue of menstrual hygiene in developing countries was held on 28 November in The Hague, The Netherlands. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the negative impacts that the lack of sanitary napkins and other menstrual protection materials have on the lives of women and girls in developing countries during their whole reproductive cycle. The main issues that were treated related to the problem of girls failing to attend school during their menstruation, diseases caused by poor menstrual hygiene, the taboo surrounding the topic and the impact of these problems on reaching the MDGs. In addition, the discussions also touched upon the role of companies and other actors active in the sanitary sector.

The meeting was attended by experts from the health, water, sanitation and education sectors, together with producers and exporters of menstrual sanitary material and waste handling and packaging companies. It provided an important opportunity for different stakeholders to meet and discuss future strategies for improving the menstrual hygiene of girls and women in developing countries.

Click here to read the background paper.