An early start to join Radha Paudel in Nepal

Dr Helen Douglas and Sarah Williams were online early today to join amazing activist Rahda Paudel in Nepal, and her update on ‘dignified menstruation to dignfied menopause’ today.

They were joined by a number of fellow advocates from the Global South Coallition for Dignified Menstruation, (GSCDM), who after hearing the enlightening talk from Radha, shared an emotive insight into the time and distance endured to seek help on reproductive matters, a journey that could have been avoided with adequate awareness of ‘menopause’ facts and the signs and symptoms that can present around this time.

Radha talked of the inseperable link between menstruation and menopause, and how we must not fail to meet the needs of menstruators and those in menoapuse globally, also the need to push boundaries to eliminate discrimination around these taboo topics.

According to the UN ‘Menstruation is intrinsically related to human dignity – when people cannot access safe bathing facilities and safe and effective means of managing their menstrual hygiene, they are not able to manage their menstruation with dignity. Menstruation-related teasing, exclusion and shame also undermine the principle of human dignity.

Gender inequality, extreme poverty, humanitarian crises and harmful traditions can all turn menstruation into a time of deprivation and stigma, which can undermine their enjoyment of fundamental human rights. This is true for women and girls, as well as for transgender men and nonbinary persons who menstruate.

Over the lifetime of a person who menstruates, they could easily spend three to eight years menstruating, during which they might face menstruation-related exclusion, neglect or discrimination.’ (1)

This relates to our news yesterday that Menopause Inclusion Collective have made a call on UN Women to also acknowledge the urgency in recognising the need for a global dignified menopause.

1) https://www.unfpa.org/menstruationfaq