Menstrual Health & Hygiene Web-Dialogues 2019 - 2020

Together with the Menstrual Health Alliance India, the African Coalition for Menstrual Health Management and the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition we are hosting a web – dialogue series in 2019 and 2020.  The objectives of the web-dialogues are to create meaningful exchange among experts and have sufficient time for audience participation and contributions in the discussions.

Impact of Corona Pandemic on the Access to Menstrual Products and Information –

27 April 2020 – organized by the Menstrual Health Alliance India

The web discussion shared the findings from a rapid survey on how the coronavirus pandemic impacted the provision of menstrual hygiene, with a focus on supply chain and on relevance for access to information for those in lockdown and quarantine. Partners shared their challenges and how they overcome them during the pandemic but also looking at implications post-pandemic. The web discussion address issues across regions, with a specific focus on the Indian context.

Speaker:

Key note: Tanya Dargan Mahajan (Development Solutions/ MHAI)

• Richa Singh, Niine
• Soumya Dabriwal, Project Baala
• Lara Gulia, Tata Trusts
• Jagdeep Mandal, Aakar Innovations
• Rikita Narula, Sacchi Saheli

Moderator: Arundati Muralidharan   (WaterAid/ MHAI)

Organisations providing IEC support (email contacts in the presentation)

3-part Webinar on Standards for Menstrual Products

Traditional practices in low- and middle-income countries have seen the use of materials like cloth, hay and ash as absorbents. More recently, this need has been served by consumer products – disposable sanitary pads and tampons. Over the last few years, these products have evolved to offer increased absorbency and comfort to users. Innovations like the menstrual cup (made of medical-grade silicone) and the reusable cloth pad (made of natural and synthetic fabrics), have also become mainstream and now offer increased choice to women. However, true informed choice requires that products meet certain benchmarks of safety and performance. To this end, various manufacturers, civil society organisations and advocacy groups have been working on national and global standards for menstrual products.

The following web-dialogues will take an in-depth look at the development of standards for disposable sanitary pads, reusable menstrual products and menstrual cups across different country settings in Asia and Africa and globally respectively.

Webinar 1: Disposalble sanitary pads

Webinar 2: Reusable menstrual products

Webinar 3: Menstrual Cups (Postponned to later)

Speaker:

Key note: Tanya Mahajan, Menstrual Health Alliance India / Development Solutions, India

• Suhani Jalota,  Myna Mahila Foundation, India
• Louise Klintner, Lund University, Sweden.
• Jaydeep Mandal, Aakar Innovations, India
• Michal Moscherosch,  Johnson & Johnson, USA

Moderator:Puleng Letsie, African Coalition for MHM / UNFPA

Speaker:

Key note: Sophia Grinvalds, AFRIpads

• Torben Holm Larsen, Real ReliefWay
• Shivani Swamy,  Living Guard
• Audrey Anderson Duckett, Be Girl

Moderator: Ina Jurga, MH Day Secretariat/ WASH United

Scrap The Tax – Low and Middle-income Country Perspectives.

14th January 2020

The web dialogue shared insights from menstrual product tax reduction and removal in low- and middle-income countries and offer advice to those planning future campaigns.
WASH United presented the global research on scrapping taxes and its impact on the retail prices of menstrual products; an international tax expert will provide more background into different aspects of taxation; campaigners from Africa and Asia (WaterAid India, WaterAid Tanzania, WaterAid Bangladesh, Sanitary Aid Zimbabwe) shared their experiences and lessons they have learned; and representatives from the private sector (Kasha, Aakar Innovations) offered their perspectives. If you have further interest in the Period Tax movement, you may want to also watch  the  webinar of the Period Posse on #tampontax policy changes in US and UK from October 2019.

1st web-dialogue on Action for MH Education – Focus India

3rd December

Tanya Dargan from Development Solution will highlight the key findings from the IEC review , and then  opens out the discussion. The discussants will include Alka Malhotra (UNICEF), Ina Jurga (WASH United), Lakshmi Murthy (Jatan Sansthan), Nirmala Nair (Kaboom) and others.  This is followed by questions and discussion with the webinar participants. 

The end will be to summarize  recommendations emerging from the IEC review as well as the webinar discussions.