Men and Boys Have a Role to Play in Menstrual Dignity

Menstrual dignity is not just a “women’s issue.” It is everyone’s issue.

Men and boys can be powerful allies in challenging stigma, ending discrimination, and helping create environments where menstruators can live with dignity. But our latest research shows a striking gap between potential and action:

• Only 8% of men and boys surveyed have ever intervened to stop discrimination against menstruators.
• And for nearly half of them, menstrual discrimination was not even visible.

These findings are just the tip of the iceberg.

Through the Sang pour Sang Consortium, we conducted a large-scale population-based research study on menstrual dignity and discrimination in the Global South, which included a survey of 3,465 men and boys across 9 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

The mixed-methods findings offer powerful insights into men’s and boys’ menstruation-related attitudes, knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors. They also point to a clear opportunity: engaging men and boys is essential for building communities, schools, workplaces, and health systems that support menstrual health and dignity.

Read the cross-county report to learn more about how men and boys can become key allies for menstrual dignity.

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