THE PERIODICAL

The results of Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) 2026 are in! 

They show what is possible when thousands of organisations and individuals join forces. Advocates, NGOs, media, governments, communities, and corporates came together to drive awareness and action on menstrual health and hygiene (MHH). All with one goal: creating a #PeriodFriendlyWorld for everyone. 

In 2026, we crossed the mark of 1,500 official partner organisations.
The MH Day movement continues to grow. 💪 

And so does our impact.
This year, the team tracked more than 3,000 MH Day events, 28,300 pieces of media coverage, and 299,000 social media contributions! 

Together, these efforts resulted in a new milestone: during the campaign period from 29 April to 10 June 2026: 

MH Day collectively reached 1.135 billion people worldwide. 

Isn’t that incredible? 

That’s nearly one in seven people on the planet, and the biggest reach in the history of MH Day! 

It shows that while MHH was a niche issue a few years ago, it is becoming more and more relevant for the mainstream of society. 

  Read more about the 
numbers,  trends,  and stories 
behind MH Day 2026  

Thank you for being part of this growing movement! Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld!

Warmly,
Ina, Aya and the team at the International Secretariat of MH Day / WASH United

c/o - WASH United gGmbH Fürbringerstrasse 7 Berlin 10961 Germany

International Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026

Facts & figures about MH Day and menstrual health & hygiene

About Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day)

• MH Day is celebrated annually on 28 May to symbolize the average length of the menstrual cycle (28) and duration of menstruation (5).
• It was initiated by WASH United and was first celebrated in 2014. WASH United is an award-winning non-profit based in Berlin/Germany, founded in 2011, with a focus on menstrual health and hygiene (MHH). WASH United focuses on strengthening the global MHH ecosystem by offering free, easy-to-use solutions for awareness, advocacy, and education, and engages in strategic advocacy throughout the year.

• The mission of the MH Day movement is to create a period-friendly world.

A period-friendly world is a world in which menstruation is accepted as a normal fact of life and is no longer stigmatised. It is a world in which everyone is educated about menstruation from an early age. In a period-friendly world, everyone has access to quality and affordable period products of their choice. Everyone has access to period-friendly toilets. And in a period-friendly world, menstrual health services are available to everyone. It is a world where no one is held back just because they menstruate. (MH Day mission)

• The impact of MH Day 2025: reach of 971 million people, 25,026 pieces of media coverage, 198,132 social media contributions, more than 2,000 events, and 1,350 partner organizations.

 
About Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH)

Global perspective of menstruation

• Globally, 2.1 billion adolescent girls and women menstruate. 
  (WHO/ UNICEF, Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2024. JMP, 2025)
• On any given day, approximately 375 million women and girls worldwide are menstruating. (Own calculation)

MHH-related challenges

• Number of persons in need: More than 500 million women do not have the resources and support that they need to manage their menstruation. 
  (Amaya L. et al., Advancing Gender Equity by Improving Menstrual Health. FSG, 2020)
• Period education: Globally, only around 2 out of 5 schools provide menstruation education. 
  (WHO/ UNICEF, Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools, 2015-2023. JMP, 2024)(MH Day mission)

1 of 3  April 2026                                         Continued ...                                       #PeriodFriendlyWorld 

THE PERIODICAL: Your Menstrual Hygiene Day Secretariat

Dear readers,

It was a rough first three months for many of us with US Aid ending abruptly in January.
Additionally, the global pushback against gender equality and menstruation-related topics continues.
Yet, in the face of this, we continue to stand strong.
Progress in menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) is happening—
from landmark funding commitments to critical research shaping
policies and understanding worldwide.

In this edition, we bring you:

Funding Updates / Events / Publications / Lots of new research

🩸🩸🩸

My source: Email - Newsletter: The Periodical.