UNICEF launches campaign to promote positive menstrual hygiene in Pakistan

Lahore, Pakistan - 5 July 2018: Over 300 adolescent boys and girls coming from all parts of Pakistan convened at the outskirts of the city of Lahore for the launch of UNICEF’s menstrual hygiene campaign ‘#NoChutti’ earlier this week. The launch was held on the sidelines of the 17th Young Leaders Conference hosted by the School of Leadership.

‘No Chutti’, an Urdu word for ‘No Break’, is a campaign that seeks to inspire young Pakistani women to feel empowered and strong even while they have their periods. It refutes the claim that girls and women need to take a break from their normal daily activities just because they are menstruating. It also dispels the myths around physical and dietary restrictions supposedly imposed on menstruating women by religion and culture.

In Pakistan, there is still a “culture of silence’ surrounding women’s reproductive health, including menstruation.  Research shows that girls’ knowledge about menstruation and its related hygiene practices remains inadequate. Teachers are often reluctant to discuss the subject, leaving mothers and elder sisters as the primary source of information for girls. Unfortunately, this information is often shared only after the girls have already had their first period, meaning that most girls are uninformed and unprepared to deal with their first periods. 

UNICEF and partners are working to break the barriers that hinder adolescent girls and women from reaching their full potential by improving girls’ access to the knowledge, tools and facilities they need to manage menstrual hygiene with dignity and confidence. This includes contributing to positive social change regarding attitudes and practices.

During the launch, a dynamic panel consisting of a religious scholar, leading female athletes, a sanitary cup entrepreneur and a medical practitioner unpacked diverse themes on menstruation, providing a platform for adolescent girls and boys to engage on a subject that is rarely discussed in Pakistan. 

“Islam emphasizes the need to treat women kindly during their period,” said Moulana Professor Abdur Rehman Ludhianvi, a renowned Islamic Scholar.

“It emphasizes the need to treat a woman the same way when she is on her period as when she is not.  We need to understand that menstruation is a natural phenomenon. If periods were a thing to be ashamed of, why would God give women periods?” he added.

A young Pakistani entrepreneur, Wasma Imran, shared her experience of using menstrual cups.

“I found them to be a cost effective and environmentally friendly way of managing my periods. I wanted more women in Pakistan to share this experience and have this opportunity,” she says. Imran has founded ‘Recircle Cup’, a company that promotes affordable alternative methods to manage menstruation.

UNICEF national menstrual hygiene champions echoed the philosophy of the campaign.

“‘I have never missed a day of practice because of my period,” said Olympic Swimmer Kiran Khan, encouraging girls to stay active and pursue their goals even while on their period.

Sana Mahmud, Captain of Pakistan’s national women’s Basketball team, agreed. “Know your body and take care of yourself. There is no shame in talking about your periods.” 

Boys actively contributed to the discussion. “People must see menstruation as a normal phenomenon. We have to talk about it,” said Danial Ahmad. Rabia Javaid, one of the girls participating in the event, called on women to “feel free, be positive and have the courage to talk about it. This way we will be able to ensure that their health is put into consideration.”

UNICEF Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Kitka Goyol stressed the importance of openly speaking about menstruation in Pakistan.

“For UNICEF, having this kind of youth engagement with both boys and girls on a topic as sensitive as important is vital. We hope that it will becomes a topic of discussion within all tiers of society. It is a matter that concerns not just women and girls, but affects everyone.”

UNICEF and partners work with provincial governments across Pakistan to advocate for healthy school environments, reduce the social and physical barriers that deny girls of knowledge, and provide them with the supplies and facilities they need to manage their menstruation. 

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