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'Periods don't stop for a cyclone': Pacific advocates say menstrual health is vital for disaster preparedness

From RNZ Pacific · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Pacific advocates stress the importance of menstrual health as a critical component of disaster preparedness.
  • They highlight that basic needs for women and girls are often overlooked in emergency responses, despite menstruation being a continuous biological process.
  • Stigma and practical barriers like lack of clean water and affordable products exacerbate challenges, particularly for marginalized groups during climate-related disasters.

Biology does not pause for a cyclone warning. This was a key message at the recent Let's Talk Periods! Festival in Fiji, where around 200 participants gathered to address a growing concern across the Pacific: integrating menstrual health into disaster preparedness.

Periods, unfortunately or fortunately, do not stop for a cyclone or an earthquake, and neither therefore should our commitment to dignity and access to these services.

— Bidisha PillaiUNFPA Pacific representative Bidisha Pillai stated that menstruation is a normal biological process that continues regardless of disaster, emphasizing its importance in humanitarian responses.

Pacific Island nations, while contributing minimally to the climate crisis, face its harshest consequences, including frequent cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels. As homes are destroyed and communities isolated, emergency responses typically prioritize food, water, and shelter. However, advocates argue that the fundamental needs of women and girls are consistently neglected.

It's a normal biological process. It's not something to be ashamed about or to hide.

— Bidisha PillaiPillai highlighted the need to destigmatize menstruation as a normal bodily function, crucial for women's health and dignity.

Bidisha Pillai, the UN Population Fund's Pacific representative, emphasized that menstruation is a normal biological process that continues regardless of disaster. "Periods, unfortunately or fortunately, do not stop for a cyclone or an earthquake, and neither therefore should our commitment to dignity and access to these services," she stated. Pillai stressed that menstrual health is integral to sexual and reproductive health and should not be an afterthought in humanitarian efforts.

There is sometimes a culture of silence around talking openly about periods, talking openly about reproductive health, talking openly about the bodily changes both young girls and boys will go through.

— Bidisha PillaiPillai described how cultural taboos and misconceptions create a barrier to open conversations about menstruation and reproductive health.

Stigma surrounding menstruation, fueled by cultural taboos, creates a culture of silence that discourages open dialogue about women's health. Beyond stigma, practical barriers such as limited access to clean water, sanitation, private toilets, and affordable menstrual products hinder many women and girls. These challenges are amplified during climate-related disasters, disproportionately affecting remote communities, people with disabilities, and gender-diverse individuals who are often excluded from essential services and information.

We know the Pacific is living real

— Bidisha PillaiPillai noted that the impacts of climate change and disaster are a daily reality for the Pacific region.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by RNZ Pacific. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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