10 years of MH Day
2014
First MH Day
Ten years ago, menstruation was covered in silence. To break the silence and raise awareness, we celebrated Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May 2014 with 155 organisations joining forces.
Before MH Day, there was no united effort to raise awareness and advocate for menstrual hygiene. We created MH Day to fill this gap. The date, 28 May, represents the average length of the menstrual cycle (28 days) and period (5 days). 155 organisations - many of which are still actively involved - joined to emphasise that #MenstruationMatters. We counted around 50 events and 89 pieces of media coverage globally.
2015-2017
Menstruation matters
As more and more organisations joined the MH Day movement, MH Day started to reach beyond professional circles, engaging the wider general public, especially women aged 18-25.
In 2017, a campaign video featuring slam poet Aranya Johar went viral, attracting attention in India and globally. Celebrities like Kareena Kapoor and Freida Pinto added their voices to the cause, helping to spread the message to a wider audience. The number of MH Day partners grew to over 400, all stressing the need to break the silence and start the conversation about menstruation.
2018
No more limits
National coalitions in countries including India, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana began using MH Day to advocate for more action on menstruation from governments.
In 2018, we introduced the first dedicated campaign hashtag #NoMoreLimits to create an overarching narrative. National coalitions in countries like India, Nepal, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana and Uganda and a new regional coalition for Africa successfully used MH Day to push governments on policy change. Over 500 events were held, including the first African MH symposium in Johannesburg. Media coverage doubled and the number of MH Day partners surpassed 500.
2019
It's time for action
In 2019, the theme #ItsTimeforAction helped MH Day to further increase its global momentum. With the exception of Antarctica and Greenland, the entire world participated in MH Day!
Media coverage, social media buzz, and government engagement soared. Major celebrities like Bollywood star Akshay Kumar and Kourtney Kardashian joined in. Decision-makers from around the world added their voices to MH Day, with many committing to action.
2020-2021
Periods don't stop for pandemics
The COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, but MH Day partners adapted and kept the momentum going by focusing more and more on digital channels. We lorganized Studio MH Day, a multi-hour live broadcast, to bring the MH Day movement together online. We also introduced the Menstruation Bracelet.
The MH Day movement continued to grow. Media coverage, social media engagement, and overall reach increased significantly.
2022-2023
We are commited
Under the theme #WeAreCommitted, the MH Day movement, now over 1,000 partner organisations strong, focused on pushing for commitments and actions. In 2023, MH Day reached a milestone with over 17,800 pieces of media coverage and more than 700 million people reached globally.
The International Secretariat of MH Day stepped up efforts to push for increased action on emnstrual health and hygiene by advocating for MHH at major events, including the 2023 Women Deliver conference in Kigali and UN General Assembly week in New York.
2024
Togeher for a period friendly world
We want to use the 10th anniversary of MH Day in 2024 to celebrate the progress made so far and to look at the challenges that remain to make a #PeriodFriendlyWorld for all reality. We launched a brand-new MH Day website and the MHH Funding Tracker, a central database on funding for menstrual health and hygiene.
