May 28th is Menstrual Hygiene (MH) Day. Because periods don’t pause for pandemics, menstrual awareness may be more important than ever. This edition is of course mainly an online event. Nevertheless, there’s no way the corona virus will stop the worldwide menstrual health and hygiene movement to aim for a world without period poverty and stigma. So #ItsTimeForAction on #MHDay2020!

#MHDAY2020

Want to take a stand? Join the MH Day Bracelet Campaign and help establish the Menstruation Bracelet as a global symbol for menstruation. Participating is easy. First: make your own bracelet. By wearing it, you’ll show that periods are nothing to hide. Make a video or take a selfie and share this as a simple yet powerful global symbol for menstruation and MH Day via your social media, using the hashtags #ItsTimeForAction and #MHDay2020.

Even better: upload your submission here. Maybe your clip will be featured in the global campaign video! Don’t like handicrafts? You can also use the campaign materials, designed by four talented artists.

The Menstruation Bracelet consists of 28 beads, five of which are red (28 = average number of days in the menstrual cycle; 5 = average number of days of bleeding). Hence why MH Day is on the 28th of May (the fifth month of the year). You can find the DIY guide for the bracelet here.

#PeriodsInPandemics

Curious about how the Menstrual Health & Hygiene (MHH) community is supporting menstrual health initiatives during COVID-19? The Menstrual Hygiene Day Secretariat has created a webpage with news articles, blog posts and information related to MHH and Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 / COVID-19. Check it out here. Want to know what’s happening around the world on MH Day? You will find an overview here.

#ItsTimeForAction

Poor menstrual hygiene caused by a lack of education on the issue, persisting taboos and stigma, limited access to hygienic menstrual products and poor sanitation infrastructure undermine the educational opportunities, health and overall social status of women and girls around the world. As a result, millions of women and girls are kept from reaching their full potential. MH Day – initiated by Wash United – breaks the silence, raises and changes negative social norms around menstrual health and hygiene management. Not only in developing areas, but all over the world. #menstruationmatters. Period!

New: #internationalperiodmonth

Non profit organisation Operation Period (formerly named ROSIE) usually celebrates the week surrounding MH Day as MH Week. This year, they are naming the month of May International Period Month and celebrating with virtual events every night of the month. Check out these events via operationperiod.org/ipm.

More:
About MH Day
About other menstrual awareness initiatives
About menstruation and religion