Purpose

The lack of information, along with persistent misconceptions and myths about menstrual health and hygiene, has been shown to affect the opportunities and social status of women and girls worldwide. Addressing knowledge gaps and dispelling myths surrounding menstruation have profound implications for the health, societal status, and ability of women and girls to realize their full potential.

As outlined in BacharLorai’s 2023 Policy Brief – titled Ending Period Poverty – a combination of social taboos, gender-unequal social norms, low levels of education, and limited decision-making power among women and girls in South Asia have contributed to Bangladesh’s continued neglect of MHM in households, schools, and sanitation policies.

The social stigma surrounding menstruation, the reluctance or fear of seeking help or menstrual care, and the basic lack of appropriate knowledge, resources, and services, all contribute to and perpetuate period poverty. Through our awareness program, we aim to tackle this lack of appropriate knowledge about menstruation, as well as the resources and services available within the Canadian context, to improve their MHM practices and, consequently, their quality of life in Canada.

Workshop Funded by GLOCAL Canada

Young members from the Bangladeshi diaspora from Toronto, including students from University of Toronto St. George and Toronto Metropolitan University, were welcomed on the morning of 27th January and were given a package comprised of pre-event and post-event paper surveys, an informational toolkit, and sustainable, biodegradable pads from our corporate sponsor, Joni.

Program Manager, Madhuri Kibria kicked off the workshop with housekeeping and a short introductory presentation on BacharLorai’s work, including the three pillars, and how to get involved in future opportunities. This was followed by the first interactive activity of the day - an ice-breaker that went over myths and truths surrounding menstruation. Presenting different statements and common misconceptions about menstruation and asking attendees to raise their hands to indicate which statements they believe are myths and truths, before the facilitators reveal the answer along with some supporting research and statistics.

This transitioned into an educational presentation on menstruation, by Ashmita Roy, Youth Engagement & Prevention Facilitator at Victim Services Toronto. Ashmita covered basic knowledge on the menstrual cycle, different types of menstrual products along with videos on their uses, challenges faced by menstruating people, the role of men and boys in menstrual health advocacy, information on resources and services available in the Greater Toronto Area, and what the beneficiaries can do in their communities as MHM champions.

Following the presentation, there was a networking luncheon for exploring opportunities for future collaboration, followed by a Johari Window Activity. Attendees had the chance to explore how diversity in cultural and social experiences and perspectives can shape how private or open someone considers different aspects of menstruation to be, and how open they are to discussing menstruation-related issues with various people. This activity was designed to encourage people to be more open to creating safe spaces for discussing MHM-related topics.

The event ended with a fire-side chat between two experts in the field of gender equality and sexual and reproductive health rights, Pushpita Saha from Oxfam Canada and Shagufe Hossain from Plan International Canada. The speakers discussed their experiences working in the field, challenges associated with menstruation as they have seen in their work such as stigma, WASH barriers, linkages to poverty, and the role of youth in MHM advocacy. The discussion was moderated by BacharLorai’s Director of Policy Research, Aftab Ahmed, and wrapped up the event with an engaging Q&A session.