Gender and Culture Matters: Considerations for Menstrual Hygiene Management

Abstract

AbstractMenstruation hygiene management (MHM) is an important factor in gender-sensitive sanitation promotion. MHM is a concept and an approach in international development that gained greater attention in the last decade. This chapter first reviews the development of MHM (also recently referred to as menstrual health and hygiene: MHH) as an international agenda. The second part focuses on the cultural aspects of menstruation. To illuminate the local reality and cultural context of female students in a secondary school, a case study from the Manafwa district in Uganda will be described. The research results show that seemingly simple behaviors associated with menstrual management pass through the filter of cultural norms and girls’ perceptions. Those behaviors include (1) changing menstrual absorbents, (2) using a latrine, (3) discarding used sanitary pads or other sanitary items, (4) washing menstrual items or underwear, and (5) drying them. The chapter will provide some recommendations for MHM interventions.