Dr. Radha Paudel (Keynote Speech): 6th International Dignified Menstruation Day, 8th December

Namaste, Salam Alekam, Bonjour, good morning, good afternoon, good evening friends,

Distinguished delegates and everyone,

All protocols observed.

• On behalf of the Global South Coalition for Dignified Menstruation and the entire organizing team, I do warm welcome to everyone who are joining here and virtually.
• Let me be honest. Now, my heart is warm and melting by seeing such a wide and inclusive commitment, participation, and solidarity for marking the sixth International Dignified Menstruation Day. 
• Since year one, we have experienced resistance from friends and organizations even those who are working around gender equality, empowerment, human rights, reproductive rights, and menstruation.
• We never ever give up. On behalf of the Global South Coalition for Dignified Menstruation, I would extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to you all who are with us directly and indirectly.
• Let’s congratulate us.
• Let’s have a huge round of applause for it.
• To demand or celebrate or act around Dignified Menstruation, we need to examine the nature and complexity of Menstrual Discrimination around us.
• Menstrual Discrimination is a range of perceptions and practices such as taboos, shyness, stigma, restrictions, abuses, violence, and deprivation from resources and services that are associated with menstruation throughout the life cycle of menstruators.
• The perceptions and practices exploded with menstruators or whether the person would have uterus and ovaries, menstruation, menstrual blood, menstruating person, list of do or do not for eat, touch, mobility, see, and products including management of used menstrual products.  
• Let me share very recent research’s findings from Sri- Lanka.

• Out of 600 surveyed, 89 % of respondents were isolated from home for 7-30 days during first menstruation and 58 % do not know anything about menstruation before the first menstruation.
• It is not a single case.
• In Nigeria, another research report revealed that 57 % girls do not know about menstruation.
• Many scholars, thought that it only matters in the global south due to poverty, or illiteracy or religion.
• It’s wrong indeed.
• In UK, reports said, one in three young girls don’t prepared for their first menstruation.

• I reiterate here that Menstrual Discrimination is primary underlying factor for construction of systemic inequalities and patriarchal structures since childhood and make a vicious circle.
• Thus, Menstrual Discrimination is consciously and unconsciously comes first before having the any other identities like disability, sexual orientation, or any other identities and created a source for multiple levels of oppression and discrimination though it varies even person to person.
• It is a gender based violence and co-occurrence to other forms of violence Against menstruators including Sexual, Exploitation, Harassment and Abuse, Intimate Partner violence, Technology Facilitated Violence, child marriage and so many others.
• Menstrual Discrimination is a forms of human rights violence. One menstrual discrimination violate more than four types of human rights at once and you can calculate the number of discriminatory menstrual practices and violence during menstruation and menopause. Indeed, it is countless violence. 
• It is not acknowledged and addressed since the Declaration of human rights in 1948 to till now. Many countries have been working dozens of International Human Rights instruments such as CEDAW, Child Rights, SDGS, ILO C 190 , Bejing Platform for Action, Paris Declaration, and so on.
• Unfortunately, Menstrual Discrimination is not touched, not explored.  
• Likewise, the international days from January to December, there is no single day for recognizing and addressing the complex and multifaceted menstrual discrimination.
• Many of you may challenge me that there is May 28 is International Menstrual Hygiene day.
• My dear friends, if you are keep saying hygiene and hygiene, you are promoting the idea of menstrual blood is dirty or impure. If it is dirty or impure, how you and this universe could move forward for last 3 millions years.
• Most importantly, the menstruating person is not like injecting the vaccine in clinic or dressing of the wound?
• Here, I gently remind you all, that the language matters for transformation.
• In this vein, initiating the dialogue on dignified menstruation at home, school, communities, workplace and parliament is urgent and important.
• Simply, Dignified Menstruation is free from any forms of menstrual discrimination. It is an innovative, holistic, decolonized, southern led, transformative, human rights, and life cycle approach for equal and just society.
•  Now, let me explain a bit about the theme of this year, `Upholding Dignified Menstruation: Fundamental for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
• For advancement of SRHR, UN, donors, academia have spent a lot of money since the 1994 and more emphasis on SRHR from Beijing Platform of Action.
• In collaboration with AmplifyChange, we did a research where we found that the menstrual discrimination is an underlying barrier for claiming the Sexual and reproductive health and rights. 
• Let me reshare an example, if a menstruator can’t say `no’ for the menstrual discrimination at home, how could she say `no’ for unsafe sex or seek for emergency contraceptives or seek for certified health worker for safe abortion service.
• Principally, all elements of SRHR is linked with Menstruation, but no space for dignified menstruation. Talking about anatomy and physiology of menstruation and menstrual management is not unveiling the menstrual discrimination surround us.
• A menstruator is already face multiple challenges due to menstrual discrimination. Without addressing pre- existing underlying barrier of SRHR, how could we claim climate justice within SRHR spectrum?
• I humbly request to SRHR actors to stop watering to sand. I am sorry for saying so but this is the findings of research not mine.
• Today, I gently remind all SRHR actors, neither the SRHR spectrum nor the Comprehensive Sexual Education recognize and incorporate the dignified menstruation.
• Let’s promise today to incorporate the Dignified Menstruation in all conversation around SRHR, climate justice and everywhere.  
• Let’s work together for changing narratives around menstruation, means about the needs and priorities of menstruators in all aspects of their life.
• I appeal to global leader to act now.
• This is the high time to centering the dignified menstruation, for safe, equal and just world by shifting the resources to global south for research, programs, media engagement.
• Once again, we do warm welcome to everyone and appeal for advocate on dignified menstruation, no matter where you are and whatever capacity you have.
• Gender Equality Talk, Dignified Menstruation First.
• Gender equality Talk, Dignified Menstruation First.
• I do thank you.