Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025: Bridging Gaps in Dignity, Data, and Investment

Menstrual Hygiene Day is about the persistent inequalities surrounding menstrual health and hygiene (MHH). This year's Menstrual Hygiene Day, on 28 May 2025, is themed “Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld”, urging collective action to ensure that menstruation does not limit access to education, health, or opportunity. 

Menstrual Hygiene Day was first celebrated in 2014 to raise awareness that investments in menstrual health can yield transformative impacts on girls’ and women’s lives.

Findings from the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) reveal major gaps in WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) infrastructure that create barriers for women and girls to manage menstruation safely and with dignity.

Only 2 in 5 schools globally offer menstrual health education, and just 1 in 3 have bins for menstrual waste. Recent data show a 15 per cent average rate of menstrual-related absenteeism from school, with studies in Sub-Saharan Africa reporting rates as high as 31 per cent.

The MHH Funding Tracker, a collaborative initiative led by Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) and WASH United, provides a clear view of where global funding is flowing for menstrual health efforts – supporting transparency, accountability, and smarter investment strategies.

Find more information on how to participate in Menstrual Hygiene Day, on 28 May 2025, here.