By Lydia Ali
Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day), May 28, is an annual global event to raise awareness about the challenges women and girls face due to menstruation and to highlight solutions that address these challenges.
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) refers to the specific hygiene and health requirements of girls and women during menstruation, such as the knowledge, information, materials, and facilities needed to manage menstruation effectively and privately.
Beginning of 2022, World Vision PNG through its Markham Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (Markham WaSH) project funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Water for Women Fund intervened and started conducting regular Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) awareness and education in schools, communities and health facilities in Markham district, Morobe province.
The awareness was focused on, health and hygiene of women and girls and how they should keep their bodies clean when they experience menstruation and the overall behavioral changes of boys and men in the Markham society towards menstruation after the awareness was carried out and how males react to the idea of menstruation then and now.
Menstruation has always been taboo in Markham society, and it may pretty much still be as is in other parts of the country. Elderly people prefer not to discuss the subject matter openly, and teachers find it difficult to teach students in mixed co-ed classes hence learning about it in schools is also a barrier.
Haus & Home features a Special Segment, which is Proudly Sponsord by World Vision PNG.
In this special segment, women and girls share their experiences of how they used to manage their menstruation prior to the project’s intervention and how they are currently handling their menstruation and the impacts of MHM awareness. Also the men and the boys brave the taboos and come forward in sharing their experiences and reactions towards menstruation before and after the MHM awareness was carried out by WVPNG WASH Team in Markam District, Morobe Province.
