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Santo Domingo.- 21.9% of women of reproductive age in the Dominican Republic were absent from school, social, or work activities during their last menstruation, according to data published this Wednesday by Unicef, on the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, which is commemorated every May 28.
The data is part of the Enhogar-MICS 2019 survey conducted by the National Statistics Office (ONE) and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), as well as the research State of the Situation of the Rights of Children and Adolescents in the country (Sitan 2023-2024).A recent diagnosis on menstrual management and hygiene practices in Dominican and migrant communities in vulnerable situations revealed that girls miss school for fear of staining, women hide their sanitary pads among their clothes for fear of stigma, and that there are educational centers without water or decent bathrooms.
You can also read: May 28: International Menstrual Hygiene Day
The study highlights the lack of basic knowledge about the menstrual cycle, even among adult women, as well as the strong presence of harmful myths and beliefs that increase the opprobrium and taboo surrounding a process as natural as menstruation.
That 21.9% absence rate reflects "a clear exclusion and inequality, as it is a high indicator when compared globally," specified in a statement the UN agency, which called on society "to break the silence, eliminate stigmas and guarantee dignified, safe and respectful conditions for adolescent girls and women who menstruate." For the UNICEF representative in the country, Carlos Carrera, "ensuring access to menstrual products and services is not only a matter of health, but also of human rights and gender equity.""It is essential to break down stigmas and eliminate the barriers that prevent millions of girls and adolescents from managing their menstruation safely, with dignity, and without discrimination," she added.
Although there are scattered initiatives, the country lacks a national strategy to guarantee free or subsidized access to menstrual products, adequate education, and dignified hygiene conditions in schools, prisons, and communities, according to Unicef.
Added to this are the myths and beliefs deeply rooted in the Dominican population, such as the idea that menstruation is a contagious disease, a taboo subject, or something that should be hidden, among other issues.
The Dominican Chamber of Deputies approved at the beginning of this month a resolution project that recommends the Executive Branch guarantee the delivery of a "menstrual kit" in public educational centers.
The initiative arose from reports that, in some provinces, girls and adolescents are forced to miss classes because they do not have sanitary towels.
Although the resolution is not mandatory, it proposes a new vision that will be in the hands of the president for its possible implementation, highlighted Unicef, which made a series of recommendations to address the issue of menstruation, including improving access to water, private, clean bathrooms with the necessary supplies for menstrual management.
Likewise, guarantee access to free or affordable menstrual products, especially for students in vulnerable situations, and include content on menstruation and menstrual health in curricula from an early age, with a gender and human rights focus.
