SNV Bangladesh celebrates Menstrual Hygiene Week

On 28 May - Menstrual Hygiene Day, SNV Bangladesh kicked off a week-long awareness campaign targeting Ready Made Garment workers in Bangladesh. The garment sector is Bangladesh's biggest employer of women, making it the perfect focus for efforts to build awareness on menstrual health and to break down taboos around menstruation. Over 89% of Bangladesh's 78.4 million women still use rags instead of sanitary napkins, compromising their health, productivity and dignity with the risk of embarrassing leaks and harmful infections.

With activities in 10 factories during the week, SNV worked with a total of 1,300 garment workers to build awareness on this important topic, including quizzes with hygiene products as prizes, and documentary screenings.

SNV Bangladesh's Menstrual Hygiene Day activities took place under the Working with Women Project that works in promoting Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights for Business Success in Bangladesh's Garments Industry, which aims to promote, incentivise, support and reward the adoption of inclusive business practices in the garment industry, with a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights.