Menstrual hygiene remains a taboo topic in rural parts of the country, where discussing menstruation openly is still frowned upon, even among girls and women.
The situation worsens during natural disasters, as girl children seeking refuge in flood shelters face additional challenges.
Farhana Haidar, youth chief of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society’s Noakhali unit and a medical student, shared her experience of distributing hygiene products to flood-affected individuals.
Distributing sanitary napkins
The recent flash floods left several parts of the district waterlogged.
In response, the government, volunteer organizations, and the general public united to raise funds for relief efforts in the affected areas.
Among the donated items were sanitary napkins, meant to be distributed to girls and women in need.
Farhana recounted her experience distributing sanitary napkins at a flood shelter in Eastern Maizdi.
When she arrived to distribute the relief items, she noticed the girls were hesitant to accept the sanitary napkins.
Since menstruation is considered taboo, some recipients questioned why these items were being distributed in broad daylight, while others did not even know how to use them.
However, some local men, understanding the necessity of sanitary napkins, encouraged the girls to take them.
Farhana said: “We didn’t have time to pack them separately, so we distributed them openly.”
The lack of comfort and privacy in flood shelters exacerbated the situation, but the need for sanitary napkins remained crucial to avoid further health issues.
“In some areas where people don’t normally use sanitary napkins, they received them from the flood shelters,” Farhana said.
She added that some girls were overjoyed and expressed their gratitude for receiving sanitary napkins as part of the relief package.
Privacy in flood shelters
Local schools serve as shelters during disasters, but they frequently do not have enough room for all the displaced people.
Privacy is a significant concern in these temporary arrangements.
Farhana encountered shelters where around 500 people were staying, but there were only 10-12 washrooms available.
“They have no choice but to manage the situation,” she said.
Farhana believes that creating designated washrooms for women could help alleviate some of these problems.
Taboo surrounding sanitary napkins
Only 29% of menstruating women in the nation use sanitary napkins, up from 14% in 2014, according to the national hygiene survey conducted in 2018.
Farhana explained that while the availability of sanitary napkins in pharmacies at the upazila and village levels has improved, there is still a significant lack of awareness in rural areas.
Many young girls still hesitate to buy sanitary napkins themselves, relying instead on male family members, such as fathers or husbands, to purchase them.
Even at the Sadar upazila level, when a young girl asks for sanitary napkins at a pharmacy, she often receives uncomfortable looks from both the seller and other customers.
Farhana shared her personal experience, saying: “When I was in school, my classmates would choose pharmacies that weren’t crowded to avoid judgemental stares.”
Awareness
A UNFPA study found that mothers are the primary source of information for women and girls regarding menstruation, followed by sisters and peers.
Farhana’s experience aligns with this finding, as she learnt about menstrual hygiene from her mother.
Her school teachers and involvement with the Red Crescent Society also helped raise her awareness on the subject.
Farhana, who attended an all-girls school, noted that her schooling experience made discussing menstrual hygiene easier, a luxury not available to students in co-ed schools.
Her unit works to spread awareness by conducting health and hygiene camps in schools.
She said: “This time, we received a large number of sanitary napkins, but we couldn’t distribute them immediately. Instead, we later organized an hour-long awareness campaign during which we distributed the napkins.”
She added: “If we had the opportunity and support from larger platforms, we could do this on a larger scale. It’s necessary to raise awareness and break the taboo.”
Female corners
Farhana’s unit aims to establish “female corners” in every school in the Noakhali district.
These spaces would provide emergency hygiene products for young girls, including sanitary napkins and underwear, free of charge.
Farhana explained that these corners would be helpful, as many girls are not always prepared for their periods.
Other developing countries have already implemented the concept of a female corner, and some schools in Bangladesh are replicating the idea.
Farhana believes these female corners could also help address menstrual hygiene issues during disasters.
“Distributing sanitary napkins in a disaster situation is challenging. We don’t know who specifically needs them or to whom we should give them. If female corners were already established, we could place the products there, and those in need could easily access them,” she explained.
Price as a barrier
The current price of sanitary napkins is not affordable for everyone, and only a few low-cost options are available on the market. Farhana believes the government should subsidize sanitary napkins.
“The government could at least provide moderate-quality sanitary napkins at community clinics, either at cost or at a subsidized price, to ensure menstrual hygiene,” she suggested.
A UNFPA study found that the cost of menstrual products is a significant barrier preventing many women and adolescents from accessing them.
From a medical perspective, using cloth during menstruation is unsafe, making sanitary napkins a necessity.
Reusing cloth can lead to urinary tract infections (UTIs), cervical cancer, and other diseases.
Dr Sharmin Islam, a resident doctor in the Urology department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), said: “Using cloth is unhygienic. There’s a risk of bacterial infection, which can develop into septic shock, potentially leading to Toxic Shock Syndrome.”
She noted that several cases of death due to Toxic Shock Syndrome have been reported.
Farhana aims to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene, highlighting its importance and the dangers of ignoring it.
"We had a large amount of undistributed sanitary napkins because many people still use cloth during menstruation," Farhana added.
Men should be part of the conversation
Experts suggest that men should also learn about menstrual hygiene. Men, especially brothers, husbands, or fathers, also need to understand the importance of menstruation.
“Boys should be aware of menstruation, the associated pain, and the need for proper hygiene. This would foster respect toward girls and women,” Farhana said.
She recounted common instances where girls were harassed by boys during menstruation.
For example, menstrual blood may stain a girl’s dress, leading boys to tease her.
Farhana believes that raising awareness can help prevent such situations.
Moreover, she emphasized that men should take part in the conversation.
During her sanitary napkin distribution, some aware male community members encouraged hesitant women to accept the products for their well-being.
