Red Dot Patron urges all public toilets in Bhutan to be equipped with sanitary pad disposal bins

Gelephu May 28, 2025: Observing Menstrual Hygiene Day today, the Royal Patron of Red Dot Bhutan, Her Royal Highness Princess Eeuphelma Choden Wangchuck, urged district and municipal administrations to ensure all public toilets in Bhutan are equipped with sanitary pad disposal bins.

Gracing the observation of Menstrual Hygiene Day in Gelephu, Her Royal Highness issued the directive to all districts and municipalities across Bhutan with a nationwide launch of sanitary pad bins in all 562 schools and 32 nunneries.

“The presence of pad bins empowers adolescent girls and women by providing a safe and respectful way to manage menstruation, reducing the stress of finding a discreet place to dispose sanitary products. It also contributes to cleaner public spaces and supports proper solid waste management, aligning with our national goals for environment,” states Her Royal Highness’s directive.

Providing sanitary pad bins in schools and nunneries helps remove a major barrier to making Bhutan period-friendly and supports the Government’s goal to achieve this by 2029, the end of the 13th Plan. In 2023, records with the education ministry show that 63 per cent of schools have disposal mechanisms for menstrual hygiene waste, 41 per cent of schools have covered disposal bins for menstrual hygiene waste and 46 per cent of schools have changing room for menstrual hygiene management.

According to the National Standards for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for schools and monastic institutions, a period-friendly toilet must be a private and safe space, with access to running water, and covered disposal bins.

The observation of Menstrual Hygiene Day was marked with Her Royal Highness joining more than 600 students and guests for a “Walk for a period friendly Bhutan.”  The walk around Gelephu town, while symbolising the steps towards a period-friendly Bhutan, highlights that when communities and polices are period friendly, girls and women can attend school, work and contribute towards national development.

Education and Skills Development Minister Yeezang De Thapa emphasized the criticality of making any development process inclusive and period-friendly.

“Considering the basic menstrual management needs of girls and women is catalytical towards making our homes, schools, communities and societies period-friendly,” the minister said. “I am confident that the Gelephu Mindfulness City will be exemplary of a period-friendly society, one that sets the highest standards of menstrual hygiene management that the rest of the country looks up to.”

Towards ensuring access to running water in schools, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development with UNICEF’s support is constructing water supply schemes in 15 schools across 11 districts. These water supply schemes would benefit 8,758 students including 4,480 girls meet their sanitation and menstrual hygiene needs.

Governor of the Gelephu Mindfulness City, Dasho Dr Lotay Tshering assured that Her Royal Highness’s directive to equip public toilets and washrooms would be implemented in Gelephu. “Menstruation is a natural and healthy process for girls and women, signifying the essence of humanity. We will do all we can to become a period-friendly society and also call on our women and girls to be responsible in the proper disposal of sanitary napkins.”

Reiterating UNICEF’s continued support, UNICEF Bhutan’s Deputy Representative Fawzia Hoodbhoy commended the Royal Government of Bhutan’s commitment to making Bhutan an inclusive and period-friendly society.

“Along with improving access to menstrual health and hygiene services for our girls and women, we must continue to work towards addressing the social norms and myths around menstruation to become a period-friendly society,” the Deputy Representative said.

Given the new developments taking place in Gelephu, Red Dot Bhutan, the national platform for menstrual hygiene management, chose the hub of Bhutan’s Mindfulness City to advocate the need to make any development plans and policies inclusive of menstrual hygiene.

Along with the Gelephu Business Community contributing 150 pad bins, the Bank of Bhutan, Bhutan National Bank, Bhutan Heli, Lhaki Steels and Rolling, Phuensum Builders, Perfect Enterprise, Samtse Ferro Pvt Ltd, Rigsar Construction and Kuenphen Medical contributed pad bins worth over Nu 200,000 to Red Dot Bhutan.

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