Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022: Here's The Theme, History, And Significance Of The Day

World Menstrual Hygiene Day, which is observed on May 28, aims at changing the narrative and creating awareness around menstrual hygiene. Millions of women and girls around the world are stigmatised, marginalised, and discriminated against simply because they menstruate. For many of them, the onset of menstruation signals that a girl is ready for marriage and childbearing, even if she herself is still a kid. In many instances, it can be a source of embarrassment for women, as they are confined to menstruation tents and forbidden from sharing meals.

For some women, it also means a squandered opportunity since they are unable to attend school due to discomfort or a lack of personal hygiene items. It even entails the loss of dignity for many others due to a lack of supplies and sanitation in humanitarian settings.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day highlights such issues faced by women and spreads awareness of menstrual hygiene.

Theme

The theme for World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022 is “To create a world where no women or girl is held back because they menstruate, by 2030”.

The main idea here is to create a better world for every woman who can safely and hygienically manage her menstrual cycles without any shame or stigma. By 2030, no girl should be held back because of menstruation.

History

Back in 2014, a German-based NGO WASH United chose to dedicate this day to menstrual hygiene. Why the month of May was chosen for this day? Because menstrual cycles last an average of 28 days and women menstruate an average of five days each month. So, the day is marked on May 28, with May being the fifth month of the year.

Significance

World Menstrual Hygiene Day is dedicated to breaking the age-old silence around periods and raising awareness about the hygiene aspect associated with it. The day also directs changing the negative social norms created around menstruation and having more conversations around it in order to normalise it.

Menstruation is no less than a taboo in many parts of India and the rest of the world, and it's time to change the narrative around it.

It's upon the young changemakers, policymakers, NGOs, and other organisations to make this day an opportunity to spread more knowledge and awareness about menstrual hygiene.