Designing Menstrual Health Programs for Outcomes
Experience from schools and communities makes one thing clear: an effective program cannot begin and end with distribution.
So what does a good menstrual health program actually look like?
After my recent post on The Hidden Costs of “Free” Sanitary Pads, this question came up repeatedly.
Experience from schools, communities, and public systems makes one thing clear: An effective menstrual health program cannot begin and end with distribution. It has to be end-to-end.
Here’s what that actually looks like on the ground:
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Context-based design What works in one geography may fail in another. Language, beliefs, myths, access to water, and school infrastructure all matter. Our experience consistently shows that locally adapted content, game and activity-based learning creates deeper and more sustained impact.
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Menstrual health knowledge before product Girls need to understand their bodies first, the science of #Menstruation, pain management, nutrition, hygiene, and myths. Without this, period care products remain just products, not tools for health, hygiene, and dignity.
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Choice, not prescription Menstrual care is not one-size-fits-all. Sanitary pads, reusable cloth pads, menstrual cups even simple cloth all have merits and limitations and need to be explained without bias.
We follow what we call the 3 Cs:
- Bucket of choice
- Informed choice
- Freedom of choice
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Awareness and training Large-scale programs need a strong support system. Teachers, community leaders, and frontline workers fluent in local languages can be trained, equipped with the right tools, and supported to conduct periodic #MHM sessions over time, using varied activities to reinforce learning. One-off sessions rarely lead to lasting change.
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Access to sustainable menstrual products with a planned disposal approach
Distribution must include material standards, simple ‘how to use’ instructions, product safety, certified sustainability, and clear end-of-life pathways. We have implemented pad composting with certified compostable Anandi pads, working with on-ground partners.
This can also be done using quality-assured menstrual cups, cloth pads, or period panties, which reduce waste through reuse, depending on age, local context, and preferences.
- An inclusive, cross-gender approach Menstruation is not only a women’s issue. Parents, boys, and other stakeholders must be part of the conversation. In many schools especially those with a single male teacher ignoring this reality weakens the entire program.
Programs must listen, not just deliver. Regular feedback from girls and other stakeholders helps identify what is working, what isn’t, and what needs to change over time. Monitoring should be about learning and improvement, not just compliance.
So the question is no longer: “Should pads be free?”
The real question is: Are we designing menstrual health programs for outcomes or just optics?
Because dignity doesn’t end at distribution. It lives in #Health #Safety #EnvironmentalSustainability
#LifeCycleThinking #PeriodDignity #WASH #CSR #ESG #MenstrualHealth
Sharmila Chowdhury leads operations and community integration programs at Aakar Social Ventures, championing menstrual hygiene, dignity, and sustainable social impact.