Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health (CoE WCH), The Aga Khan University organized a consultation workshop on MHM with provincial stakeholders in collaboration with Menstrual Hygiene Management Working Group Pakistan (MHM-WGP) to formalise the efforts of addressing the inclusion of MHM in all working and learning environments.
Adolescence in girls has been recognized as a special time marked with the onset of menarche. Even though menstruation is a natural process and represents a key
sign of reproductive well-being, it is associated with misconceptions, malpractices and challenges among girls in developing countries. Approximately 51% of the total population of Pakistan are females, among them 22.7% are girls in the age bracket of 10-19 years (PDHS 2017-18) implying that most of them have started menstruating.
A research on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) conducted by Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, AKU Pakistan has revealed major gaps in knowledge and practices and various factors causing poor management of menstrual hygiene such as dearth of awareness, taboo and beliefs, socio-cultural practices, poor access to water and sanitation at home, lack of access to affordable sanitary products, absence of private and hygienic facilities for washing and changing of sanitary napkins, as well as lack of facilities for proper disposal of used sanitary products. The study also shows that more than a third (39.8%) of menstruating women did not use an absorbent. There is no formal channel for providing information regarding menstruation to women, hence transferring information and perceived incorrect notions coupled with lack of access and affordability thus leading to various challenges to social, physical and psychological well-being of adolescent girls and women. This research was led by Dr. Sajid Soofi and presented by Sahar Yameen at the consultation workshop.
This workshop on MHM at the provincial level was organized in collaboration with WSSCC to lay a strategic platform constituting of key development sector organizations as well as relevant government departments to come together and strategize policy directives to plan and budget for MHM activities to enhance its outreach to communities especially the vulnerable segment of our society. The group agreed to strengthen Provincial Working Group, Sindh chapter chaired by Dr. Fozia Khan (Chief Curriculum Advisor) Education department, Government of Sindh with facilitation of CoE WCH, The Aga Khan University Pakistan to initiate, incorporate, and advocate for menstrual health and hygiene, so the girls/women are able to manage their menstruation in a comfortable, safe and dignified way.
Followed by the workshop National MHM Working group in collaboration with WSSCC and Prime Minister's Clean Green Pakistan Movement organized a week long Training of Trainers (ToT) for official of the government departments including Health, Women Development and Education and development sectors from all over the Sindh in Karachi from 10th – 13th November 2020. Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, The Aga Khan University Karachi, Pakistan had also extended its support to develop a cadre of trainers in Sindh on Menstrual Hygiene Management.
A shield of appreciation was also presented to Dr. Sajid Soofi in acknowledgement of his valuable contribution for his community-based initiative to address needs of adolescent girls and women to improve their menstrual health and hygiene practices in District Dadu, Sindh.