Menstrual hygiene management in humanitarian emergencies: Gaps and recommendations
Abstract
Over the last 15 years there has been increasing attention to adolescent girls' and women's menstrual hygiene management (MHM) needs in humanitarian response contexts. A growing number of donors, non-governmental organizations, and governments are calling attention to the importance of addressing girls' and women's MHM-related needs in post-disaster and post-conflict settings. However consensus on the most effective and culturally appropriate responses to provide for girls and women remains insufficiently documented for widespread sharing of lessons learned. This article is an effort to begin to document the recommendation of key multi-disciplinary experts working in humanitarian response on effective approaches to MHM in emergency contexts, along with a summarizing of the existing literature, and the identification of remaining gaps in MHM practice, research and policy in humanitarian contexts.
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Menstrual hygiene management is often overlooked in post-disaster responses.
“Despite being an important issue concerning women and girls in the menstruating age group MHM is often overlooked in post-disaster responses.”
From Menstrual hygiene management among women and adolescent girls in the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal (2018) · cites this paper as [22]
Pre-existing social taboos and cultural restraints during menstruation mean that managing menstruation is a greater challenge during disasters.
“In addition, pre-existing social taboos and cultural restraints during menstruation mean that managing menstruation is a greater challenge during disasters [20–22].”
From Menstrual hygiene management among women and adolescent girls in the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal (2018) · cites this paper as [22]
In emergencies, other needs such as safe menstrual hygiene management are often neglected.
“Provision of fundamental human requirements such as shelter, food, clean water and medicines is prioritised, however other needs such as safe menstrual hygiene management that can have profound psychosocial impact if unmet are often neglected [22, 24].”
From Menstrual hygiene management among women and adolescent girls in the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal (2018) · cites this paper as [22]
Our findings corroborate with news reports from Nepal and from literature which indicate that menstrual hygiene management is often not prioritized in relief works.
“Our findings corroborate with news reports from Nepal [27, 36] and from literature which indicate that menstrual hygiene management is often not prioritized in relief works [22].”
From Menstrual hygiene management among women and adolescent girls in the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal (2018) · cites this paper as [22]
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Self-citationPutting menstrual hygiene management on to the school water and sanitation agenda
Marni Sommer, M. S. (2010) · Waterlines · doi:10.3362/1756-3488.2010.030 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
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Overcoming the taboo: advancing the global agenda for menstrual hygiene management for schoolgirls
Sommer, M., & Sahin, M. (2013) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2013.301374 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
Self-citationBudhathoki, S. S., Bhattachan, M., Castro-Sánchez, E., Sagtani, R. A., Rayamajhi, R. B., Rai, P., & Sharma, G. (2018) · BMC Women's Health · doi:10.1186/s12905-018-0527-y · Cited by 144 · see citing works
“Although increasingly considered, menstrual hygiene continues to be overlooked during disasters, even in community level responses [22, 28, 29].”
BackgroundResultSchmitt, M. L., Clatworthy, D., Ratnayake, R., Klaesener-Metzner, N., Roesch, E., Wheeler, E., & Sommer, M. (2017) · Conflict and Health · doi:10.1186/s13031-017-0121-1 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
VanLeeuwen, C., & Torondel, B. (2018) · International Journal of Women's Health · doi:10.2147/ijwh.s135587 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“Sanitation infrastructure Along with supportive menstrual materials, an understanding of and action toward the provision of adequate water supply and sanitation facilities that allow for changing in privacy and discrete laundering or disposal of menstrual materials was frequently discussed.(1,3,4,7,12,17,19,24,27,28,3…”
BackgroundMarni Sommer, M. S., Margaret L. Schmitt, M. L. S., David Clatworthy, D. C., Gina Bramucci, G. B., Erin Wheeler, E. W., & Ruwan Ratnayake, R. R. (2016) · Waterlines · doi:10.3362/1756-3488.2016.024 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Self-citationMenstrual management: a neglected aspect of hygiene interventions
H. Parker, A., A. Smith, J., Verdemato, T., Cooke, J., Webster, J., & C. Carter, R. (2014) · Disaster Prevention and Management · doi:10.1108/dpm-04-2013-0070 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Menstrual hygiene: a ‘silent’ need during disaster recovery
Sneha Krishnan, S. K., & John Twigg, J. T. (2016) · Waterlines · doi:10.3362/1756-3488.2016.020 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Sommer, M., Schmitt, M. L., Ogello, T., Mathenge, P., Mark, M., Clatworthy, D., Khandakji, S., & Ratnayake, R. (2018) · Journal of International Humanitarian Action · doi:10.1186/s41018-018-0034-7 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citationReusable sanitary towels: promoting menstrual hygiene in post-earthquake Nepal
Budhathoki, S. S., Bhattachan, M., Pokharel, P. K., Bhadra, M., & van Teijlingen, E. (2017) · Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care · doi:10.1136/jfprhc-2016-101481 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
- Authors
- Marni Sommer, M. S.
- Venue
- Waterlines
- Publisher
- Practical Action Publishing
- Published
- 2012-01-01
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 83-104
- ISSN
- 0262-8104 (ISSN-L)
- 1756-3488
- OpenAlex
- W2090140057
- Cited by
- 61
- References
- 12
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Waterlines (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- United Nations Population Fund
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Menstrual Health and Disorders
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Emergency Medical Services › Disaster Response and Management
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Conflict Studies
- Keywords
- menstrual hygiene management, humanitarian crisis, adolescent girls, women's health, post-conflict societies, culturally sensitive interventions, menstrual health policy, research gaps
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