Every year on May 28, the world comes together to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day, a global moment to break taboos, raise awareness, and advocate for menstrual health as a fundamental human right. This year’s theme, “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld,” is a clarion call for collective action, a reminder that no girl or woman should be held back from living a dignified life simply because of her period.

At Hakijamii, we affirm that menstrual hygiene is not just a health or gender issue it is a human rights issue. It is deeply tied to the right to health, education, water and sanitation, dignity, and non-discrimination. Yet, in Kenya’s informal settlements and arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), thousands of girls and women continue to face persistent challenges during menstruation, from a lack of affordable menstrual products to poor WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) infrastructure and harmful cultural taboos.

When Periods Deny Rights: The Cost of Inaction

In marginalized communities, girls often miss school, stay isolated, or suffer in silence during their periods due to shame, lack of menstrual materials, or inaccessible toilets. For many, menstruation becomes a barrier to education, employment, and even safety; reinforcing cycles of poverty and inequality.

This is a violation of multiple economic and social rights. No girl should ever have to choose between her education and managing her period. No woman should suffer indignity for a natural, healthy biological process. A #PeriodFriendlyWorld demands inclusive WASH governance that center’s the lived realities of marginalized groups.

Menstrual Health as a Governance Priority

WASH governs how water, sanitation, and hygiene services are delivered, managed, and regulated, which must explicitly include menstrual health as a key priority. At Hakijamii, we recognize menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) as a critical component of personal hygiene and a pillar of the right to water and sanitation.

We are committed to:

• Advocating for policies that prioritize menstrual health in WASH programming and budgets at county and national levels.
• Working with duty bearers to integrate menstrual hygiene into schools and community WASH infrastructures, ensuring access to water, privacy, and safe disposal.
• Empowering communities through education and capacity-building to break myths and ensure cultural acceptance of menstruation.
• Pushing for accountability in public resource allocation to ensure menstrual products are accessible, especially to girls in schools and women in informal settlements.

Our recent engagements in Mombasa, Isiolo, and other underserved regions reflect our ongoing work in advancing inclusive WASH governance that puts girls’ dignity, safety, and rights at the center.

Call to Action

Building a #PeriodFriendlyWorld means working across sectors, institutions, and communities. It means dismantling stigma, investing in menstrual health, and ensuring girls have access to water, sanitation, education, and support they need to thrive.

Let’s shift the conversation not just about periods, but about power, policy, and people. Let’s demand that WASH governance leaves no one behind, and that the menstrual health of girls and women becomes a non-negotiable priority in our development agenda.

At Hakijamii, we will continue to advocate, act, and collaborate until every girl can manage her period with dignity free from shame, silence, or barriers.

Together, we can create a #PeriodFriendlyWorld. One community, one school, one policy at a time.

By Fredrick Odhiambo

Program Officer- Health, Water & Sanitation