Menstrual hygiene day - Together for a period friendly world

Every year on May 28, the world comes together to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day - a reminder that periods are a normal part of life and shouldn’t come with shame, silence, or discomfort.

The theme for 2025,“Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld,” which encourages all of us to work towards a world where having period doesn’t mean missing out on school, work, or good health instead ensuring we have equal access to all opportunities out there.

Why Menstrual Hygiene Day Matters

This Menstrual Hygiene Day let’s start by highlighting the need for menstrual care for all.

Because hygiene isn’t just about using a pad or changing regularly but it’s about awareness, access, and attitude, much like the fuller picture of wellbeing explored in Beyond the Mirror: What True Health Really Means.

Stress and Stigma Around the ‘P-word’

Even though the monthly cycle lasts only a few days, the emotional and hormonal distress it brings can be overwhelming for many.

During this time, most people need a little extra care, comfort and understanding, both physically and emotionally.

But for years, periods have been treated like a topic to avoid. Even saying the “P-word” out loud was something people would quickly hush.

In many cultures, menstruation is still wrapped in shame and myths, and those who menstruate are made to feel impure or excluded. This kind of stigma doesn’t just affect how people feel but it adds to their stress, often making an already tough time even harder.

The Lack of Basic Support for Menstruators

For something that affects nearly half the population, it’s surprising how little open conversation there is around it.

When people are made to feel embarrassed about their periods, they’re less likely to ask questions, seek help, or even carry a pad without wrapping it in layers of paper.

This silence often means that many go through pain, discomfort, or confusion alone.

It also leads to poor menstrual hygiene practices as people have never been taught what’s safe, healthy, or normal. And when access to clean products or private toilets is limited, especially in schools or public spaces, the problem only grows.

What Menstrual Hygiene Truly Means

That’s why menstrual hygiene isn’t just about using a pad or changing regularly, it’s about awareness, access, and attitude.

What Everyone Deserves

1. The right information.
2. Affordable products.
3. Clean and private spaces.
4. The freedom to talk about their body without fear or shame.

Creating a period-friendly world means making sure that no one misses school, skips work, or hides in discomfort simply because they’re on their period.

Everyone who menstruates deserves to have the right information, affordable products, clean and private spaces, and most importantly, the freedom to talk about their body without fear or shame.

Creating a period-friendly world means making sure no one has to miss school, skip work, or suffer in silence just because they’re on their period.

It’s about normalising what’s natural and making sure care and dignity aren’t a privilege, but a basic right, along the same path of support and dignity we hope for in Embracing Safe Motherhood: A Journey of Love, Strength, and Support and the emotional care reflected in The Unsaid Power of Journaling: A Simple Way to Ease Stress.

For a more research-backed view of this, psychological and social impacts of menstrual stigma and child and adolescent mental health add useful perspective.