Menstruation is a natural biological process experienced by nearly 2 billion people worldwide. Yet, rather than being met with dignity, menstruation is a site of discrimination for many women, girls, and gender-diverse people across the globe.
To assess the scale, forms, and structural drivers of menstrual discrimination in the Global South, the Sang pour Sang initiative conducted a representative, population-based study in Benin, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Dominican Republic, Guinea, Haiti, Nigeria, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
Drawing on the experiences of nearly 5 thousand menstruators and 3.5 thousand men and boys across nine countries, this large-scale research study centers the lived realities of those most affected—and the findings are stark. Menstrual discrimination is pervasive, with the vast majority of menstruators reporting exclusion from routine activities during their menstrual period, experiences of menstrual teasing, or both. Men and boys frequently witness these practices, often remaining passive bystanders or, at times, participating in them, while only a small minority intervene to stop discrimination when it occurs.
The harms of menstrual discrimination are sustained by intersecting structural factors, including stigma, inadequate access to affordable menstrual products, harmful gender norms, limited access to pain management solutions, insufficient water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, and damaging misinformation. At the same time, the baseline study identifies critical entry points for change, including growing openness to discussing menstruation and the importance of supportive social norms and rights-based, gender-transformative approaches.
The cross-country report on menstruators’ experiences with menstrual dignity and discrimination provides a robust evidence base to inform advocacy, programming, and policy. By shifting the focus beyond narrow menstrual hygiene frameworks toward dignity, rights, and equity, it offers a foundation for action grounded in evidence, shaped by lived experiences, and oriented toward meaningful, lasting change.