Menstrual health must be prioritised in global policies

A Human Right

Framing menstrual health as a human right promotes the health and wellbeing of women, adolescent girls, and people who menstruate. It upholds human dignity and prevents discrimination.

The tenacity of grassroots organisations working in menstrual health has begun to transform global health leaders’ perceptions of the importance of tackling poor menstrual health. Nonetheless, there are still several global conventions that have neglected to include it.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979) is a core human rights treaty. It highlights the importance of reproductive health and requires states to ensure equal access to healthcare services, including family planning and prenatal care. Yet it contains no mention of menstrual health, perimenopause, or menopause. As this convention was passed by the United Nations General Assembly, the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which monitors the implementation of the convention, could issue a comment recognising all facets of menstrual health and their impact.

This comment should highlight the barriers to menstrual health, which include menstrual stigma, lack of access to products, inadequate education, and inappropriate water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. These barriers prevent full participation in the workforce, education, and society. Neglecting to tackle them perpetuates many inequalities, such as compromising the ability of women and people who menstruate to progress to or maintain leadership positions.

Menstrual health discrimination (including menstrual disorders, perimenopause, and menopause discrimination) is also absent from the International Labour Organisation’s Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190). Women and people who menstruate could be menstruating monthly for most of their career. Not acknowledging this reality and how it can shape people’s participation in and experiences of work is a form of reproductive health discrimination. The International Labour Organisation must amend convention 190 to include menstrual health discrimination, as well as other reproductive health rights. Everyone deserves to have their sexual and reproductive health rights met in the workplace.

Another convention of the United Nations General Assembly that excluded menstrual health is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which came into force in September 1990. It is a legally binding agreement that establishes the political, civil, social, economic, and cultural rights of every child. Despite including provisions about health, education, safe water, and dignity, the convention does not specifically mention reproductive or menstrual health. This omission could indicate inadequate education and awareness of menstrual health, social stigma surrounding the topic, or that it is a low priority—all obstacles that can prevent the provision of menstrual health.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child should issue a comment that recognises menstrual health is fundamental to the rights of the child in relation to articles 24, 28, and 29 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. These articles cover legal rights, health, and education. This could expand the rights, dignity, and self-efficacy of girls. It would also acknowledge the importance of menarche and underline that menstrual health should be included in age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education.

Accelerating Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals

Mainstreaming menstrual health across global policies and treaties could reinforce the need for legislative measures at the national and regional levels, which mobilise resources, challenge societal attitudes, and preserve the rights and wellbeing of everyone who menstruates.

Furthermore, this could accelerate progress towards many of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, particularly the target to achieve universal health coverage. As the goals are interconnected, several would benefit from recognising the right to menstrual health, including the goals to end poverty, promote health and wellbeing, achieve gender equality, provide clean water and sanitation, promote decent work, reduce inequalities, and limit climate change by reducing menstrual waste and promoting reusable products when appropriate. Enshrining the right to menstrual health would set an important precedent for protecting women, adolescent girls, and people who menstruate, thereby promoting equal treatment and opportunities for all individuals.

Incorporating menstrual health into these global conventions will put increased pressure on policy makers, raise more awareness at

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs.
   • Indicator: Access to sexual and reproductive health-care services.

2. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.
   • Indicator: Universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.

3. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.2: By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations.
   • Indicator: Access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene.

4. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
   • Indicator: Equal pay for work of equal value.

5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
   • Indicator: Social, economic, and political inclusion.

6. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse.
   • Indicator: Waste generation reduction.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Analysis:

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The issues highlighted in the article are connected to the following SDGs:

   • SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
   • SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
   • SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   The specific targets identified based on the article’s content are:

   • Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs.
   • Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Program of Action

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     Source: bmj.com

      

     

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