Menstrual Hygiene as a Human Rights and Health Equity Issue: Inequality, Access, and Human Dignity Among Women

Lack of health awareness and access to menstrual hygiene goods is a challenging issue in some parts of the world, creating a situation where menstrual hygiene becomes a privilege. This issue reflects the broader social determinants of health and gender-based inequities affecting women. This essay discusses why hygiene access remains unequal for women and outlines ways to address the disparity. The sources of this essay draw on the relevant literature in healthcare focusing on women’s hygiene practices. Various factors, including socio-economic-cultural factors and hygiene education, were identified to trigger hygiene behaviors. Strategies to enhance menstrual hygiene include structured and targeted education, school-based programs and menstrual hygiene management, and community-led and WASH approaches. Inadequate access to hygiene products and sanitation facilities is linked to poverty, educational disparities, stigma, and structural inequities that compromise women’s health, dignity, and social participation. Menstrual hygiene should be recognized as a fundamental human right and a public health necessity. Multisectoral interventions involving healthcare providers, educators, communities, and policymakers are essential to reduce hygiene inequities and promote women’s dignity and health equity.