Not just women’s issue

As India marked Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, the occasion once again highlighted a sobering truth: menstrual health continues to be neglected in our political discourse. It remains buried under layers of taboo, dismissed as a peripheral “women’s issue,” and denied the political urgency it so deeply warrants. This silence is not just a cultural failure—it is a policy failure with far-reaching consequences for health, dignity, and gender equality.

Despite growing awareness, the issue of menstruation rarely finds a prominent place in political manifestos or parliamentary debates. When addressed, it is often reduced to tokenistic gestures—such as the distribution of sanitary pads—rather than being integrated into broader frameworks of public health, education, and social welfare. Pad distribution schemes, while necessary, cannot substitute the comprehensive change needed: clean water, functioning toilets in schools and public spaces, menstrual education, safe disposal mechanisms, and most importantly, the dismantling of stigma.

The silence around menstruation perpetuates a vicious cycle. Girls skip school, women miss work, and many suffer from infections and discomfort due to poor hygiene—all because the infrastructure, information, and empathy simply don’t exist. Yet political leaders largely ignore this, reinforcing the idea that menstrual health is a private matter rather than a collective societal responsibility.

If menstrual health were treated as a public health issue—which it is—it would receive the same attention and funding as vaccination drives or maternal care. If it were seen as a fundamental human rights issue—which it must be—it would feature in laws, budgets, and electoral promises. Instead, we are left with piecemeal schemes and NGO-led efforts, while the state remains conspicuously absent from the frontlines.

This Menstrual Hygiene Day should mark a shift—from awareness to accountability. We need political champions who will normalise menstruation in policymaking, treat it as central to national development, and reject the patriarchal silences that have held us back. Menstrual health is not merely about pads and periods; it is about participation, dignity, and equality.

For a country aspiring to gender justice and inclusive growth, ignoring the menstrual needs of half its population is not just shortsighted—it is indefensible. The question now is: will our leaders rise to the occasion, or will they continue to bleed the issue dry with inaction?