Report on Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration 2017

Report on Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration

May 28

2017

1 Event report on Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration 2017

Background

Menstrual Hygiene (MH) day is an annual global event which is celebrated on 28th May and makes different partners across all sectors to engage in awareness, advocacy and knowledge-sharing around the importance of menstrual hygiene management. There are many taboos/myths related to menstruation, and this particular day aims to break all taboos and raise awareness among individual, organization and everyone who menstruate and the one who don't. It is celebrated so that people could understand menstruation is not a curse, rather it is a gift and proper hygiene is important. MHM day brings together various organizations, individual and the media to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene management. Since 2014, it has been celebrated as the World Menstrual Hygiene Day. 28th May has been known for this day because in general most of the women have their period for 5 days, and their cycle tends to be at 28 days. Nepal Red Cross Society- CEHP has been celebrating the MH Day every year since the celebration started. This year, 4th Menstrual Hygiene day was celebrated with the slogan of "Education about Menstruation Changes Everything" Objective

The main objectives of celebrating this day were following. To break the silence on menstruation To raise awareness on importance of menstrual hygiene management To advocate the MHM friendly environment. Activities performed during the day

The following activities were carried out while celebrating MH day at community level, district headquarter level and also CEHP Programme base office level 1. District level interaction among government and non-government officials and

stakeholders: Interaction meeting was conducted among district level stakeholders of Dang, Rolpa and Dolpa district. In Dang and Rolpa, head teachers from secondary school and colleges, District Education Officer also participated in the interaction sessions. In the meeting, discussion was also held on the status of MHM facilities in the schools and

different offices. Review on the note of Dang declaration paper was also done and commitment from the participants was made to ensure the minimum facilities for Menstrual Hygiene Management at schools and the offices. After this interaction session, NRCS Dolpa, Dang and Jajarkot have MHM facilities i.e. provision of water with soap, bucket for the disposal of sanitary pad, stock of the pad in the office etc.

DPHO of Dang interacting with participants

2 Event report on Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration 2017

In Dang, a corner was also set up for transferring the skill of making reusable sanitary pad. Demonstration of reusable sanitary pad preparation was done to trigger the participants of the meeting on this MHM issue. Proper handwashing method was also demonstrated. Altogether people were directly benefited through this interaction meeting.

2. Dialogue session on "Taboos related to menstruation in families and further

commitment" Dialogue session was carried out in CEHP Program base office, Nepalgunj. Discussions were held on menstruation related taboos practiced within the families as well as communities. During the discussion, program staff committed to minimize the malpractices and taboos related to menstruation that were being practiced in their families. During the interaction session; bracelets as symbol to break the silence related to menstruation were also prepared by the each staff and worn by all staff for a week. The session also included sharing of ideas to make CEHP program office more menstruation hygiene friendly. Various ideas were shared such as having a fixed sanitary pad station at office, allocating a room for staff to rest during menstrual pain, availability of spare pads to any female visitors or female staffs who is in need of it during office hours, etc. All of these have already been implemented by CEHP from June.

3. Display of Menstrual Hygiene Day related Banner:

As a part of celebration of Menstruation Hygiene Day raising awareness on MHM, banners were displayed at the offices premises of Nepal Red Cross Society District Chapters- Dang, Jajarkot, Dolpa, Rolpa and Rukum as well as CEHP Program and other stakeholders were also encouraged to display the banner at the premises of office. The banner included the MH Day with the slogan and menstrual hygiene awareness message. The banner were also displayed by KIRDARC, RRN, SNV, WSSDO, District Coordination Committee.

Dialogue session conduction at CEHP office

MH Day banner displayed at Dolpa office

Pad disposal facility at Jajarkot office

3 Event report on Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration 2017

4. Rally conduction for MHM Awareness:

Rallies with MHM related message were carried out in program districts in coordination with governmental as well as other stakeholders to create awareness on menstrual hygiene. NRCS Dolpa, Rolpa and Dang conducted rally where district level stakeholders as well as students and NRCS staff participated. Banners and play

cards were displayed to relay the MHM message to mass. Altogether 2,681 people participated in the rally.

5. Radio Message dissemination : MHM related messages were broadcasted through the local FMs in Jajarkot, Dang, Dolpa, Rolpa and Rukum. The radio message had key information that menstruation is a natural biology. It had also covered the message related to the importance of hygiene maintenance and the need of breaking the silence as well as taboos related to menstruation. Please find annex (1) for details of radio message.

6. Inter school competition:

Nepal Red Cross Society District Chapter Dang and Rolpa organized MHM related folk song and quiz competition. During the event, altogether 496 students of 9 schools participated actively.

7. Interaction sessions

MHM related interaction sessions were carried out in different community level group of people i.e. health mothers groups, W-WASH-CCs and students of program districts (Dang, Dolpa, Jajarkot, Rolpa and Rukum). Altogether 2,034 peoples directly participated in the sessions.

In Dolpa; in coordination and collaboration of different organizations, interaction session was conducted with temporary women police. Sanitary pads were also distributed to temporary women police after the interaction session.

Rallies conducted at Dang

Prize distribution after competition

Interaction session among mothers group

4 Event report on Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration 2017

8. IEC publication and distribution

Menstrual hygiene related brochures were published and distributed among the people of Dang, Dolpa, Jajarkot, Rolpa and Rukum. About 4,000 copies of IEC materials were distributed. Those materials were distributed during the community level interaction sessions and rallies.

News cuttings:

MHM related IEC materials published

News published in Rolpa Samachar weekly

5 Event report on Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration 2017

News published in Yugbodh national daily, Dang

Media coverage:

Rato pati : http://www.ratopati.com/news/148494/

Ekhabar : http://ekhabaronline.com/2017/05/3106#sthash.3cXtGuyz.dpbs

Naya Yughbodh National Daily: https://issuu.com/yougbodh/docs/22_gate_9e05be46a7753c

6 Event report on Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration 2017

Glimpse of Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration:

Interaction session with District level stakeholders, DHO and DWSSD, Dang

Interaction and pad distribution to temporary

police in Dolpa

Interaction session with head teachers and

stakeholders at Rolpa

Inter school singing competition, Dang

MHM banner displayed by KIRDARC, Dolpa

Preparation of bracelets as a tool to break the

silence

7 Event report on Menstrual Hygiene Day Celebration 2017

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Nepal Red Cross Society Community Empowerment for Health Promotion Programme P.O. Box - 7, Nepalgunj Phone: 081-520255, 522668 Fax: 081-520589 Email: cehp@nrcscehp.org, info@nrcscehp.org Website: www.nrcscehp.org

Interaction on re-usable sanitary pad at Dang

Play cards displayed by police officials of Dolpa

Interaction session with temporary police

Interaction with stakeholders at Dolpa