By MONICA KAYOMBO/Zambia, Lusaka,
MENSTRUAL products should never be considered a luxury. Yet for millions of women and girls around the world, accessing sanitary products remains a daily struggle, a challenge made worse by inflation, humanitarian crises, climate disasters and persistent gender inequalities.
These concerns took centre stage during a virtual dialogue hosted by SHE & Rights on May 28, 2026, in commemoration of Menstrual Hygiene Day under the theme: “Navigating the Bleeding Edge: Period Poverty and Reproductive Health in the Poly-crisis.”
The discussion brought together advocates and experts including Angel Babirye, Joie Cortina, Radha Paudel and Rita Widiadana, with the session moderated by Shobha Shukla.
Speakers highlighted how overlapping global crises are disproportionately affecting menstruating girls and women, particularly those living in poverty or displaced by disasters and conflicts.
Rita Widiadana pointed to Indonesia’s experience with floods, earthquakes and conflicts, noting that women and girls often face additional hardships in evacuation centres where menstrual hygiene needs are frequently overlooked.
She observed that girls from low-income households are among the hardest hit, as rising inflation continues to drive up the cost of sanitary products.
“Relief efforts often neglect the needs of menstruating girls and women because food, water and medicines are considered the only essential priorities,” she said. “But menstrual products are not non-essential; they are critical for menstrual hygiene and dignity.”
Angel Babirye who is President of the African Youth and Adolescent Network East and Southern Africa (AfriYAN ESA) and Chief Executive Officer of the Us for Girls Foundation in Uganda, echoed these concerns, describing how rising costs have left many families struggling to afford menstrual products.
According to Ms Babirye, many households are forced to choose between purchasing food and sanitary pads. The situation is even more challenging in homes with multiple menstruating girls.
As a result, some girls and women are forced to use sanitary pads far beyond the recommended period or resort to unsafe alternatives such as old socks and other improvised materials. Such practices increase the risk of reproductive tract infections and other health complications.
Ms Babirye further noted that the inability to access menstrual products continues to disrupt girls’ education, with many missing school during their menstrual periods.
She stressed that menstrual health must be integrated into disaster preparedness and humanitarian response plans.
“Periods do not stop because there is a war, a flood or another humanitarian crisis,” she said. “Menstrual health should not be an afterthought. It is also about access to clean water, privacy, safety and dignity.”
The discussion also underscored the importance of involving boys and men in menstrual health education and increasing menstrual literacy in communities.
Joie Cortina of the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) said harmful stereotypes continue to influence humanitarian responses, leading some decision-makers to exclude sanitary pads and underwear from relief packages.
“There is still resistance to include menstrual products because they are wrongly viewed as non-essential commodities,” she said. “Menstrual products are not luxury products.”
Meanwhile, Nepalese menstrual rights advocate Ms Radha Paudel called attention to what she described as “menstrual discrimination” , a complex system of stigma, silence, restrictions, violence and denial of resources that affects menstruating individuals throughout their lives.
She argued that menstrual discrimination reinforces patriarchal power structures by portraying menstruators as inferior while elevating non-menstruators as more powerful and in control.
“We need to acknowledge the complexity of menstrual discrimination if we are to address it effectively,” Ms Paudel said.
She further called for menstrual dignity to be integrated into health, education and public information systems, emphasizing that menstruation should be viewed as a life-affirming biological process rather than a source of shame.
The discussion also welcomed a significant development in women’s health. In May 2026, the International PCOS Network, in collaboration with The Lancet, officially renamed Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) to Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS).
According to Ms Shobha Shukla, founder of CNS and a leader of the SHE & Rights campaign, the new terminology better reflects the condition’s complex hormonal and metabolic nature.
“The old name misrepresented the condition as simply ovarian cysts,” she explained. “PMOS is a systemic disorder affecting one in eight women globally and is associated with insulin resistance, mental health challenges and irregular bleeding.’’ she said.
Ms Cortina welcomed the change, saying it reflects a growing recognition of women’s lived experiences in healthcare and promotes a more holistic understanding of reproductive health.
As the world continues to grapple with economic uncertainty, climate-related disasters and humanitarian emergencies, advocates say menstrual health must be recognized as a fundamental human rights and public health issue.
Their message was clear: menstrual products are not luxuries, and ensuring access to menstrual health services, information and supplies is essential for safeguarding the dignity, health and wellbeing of women and girls everywhere.
