conferences | speakers | series

Integrating Wiki-Menstruation to Achieve the SDGs

home

Integrating Wiki-Menstruation to Achieve the SDGs
Wikimania 2019

While access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is central to proper menstrual hygiene management, the discussion, which explored the complex realities and potential solutions in Colombia, Kenya, and Nepal, highlighted that menstrual hygiene is also intrinsically linked to success across the SDGs. This is particularly the case for the SDGs related to education—including comprehensive sexual education—gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, child marriage, sustainable consumption, and economic opportunity, among others. Despite the fact that 800 million women and girls menstruate every day, menstruation remains shrouded in silence and taboos. Women and girls lack dedicated, integrated services and information to menstruate in dignity, obstructed not only by lacking infrastructure—including the fact that one in three women live without a decent toilet—but also deeper challenges of gender norms, myths, and stigma. The goal is to contribute to Wikipedia sites with more useful information for people seeking knowledge across the globe; as an online research and information site with a global reach. Wikipedia fits into our profile of affordable, accessible and broad-based education on menstrual hygiene and the need to change the narratives. The overriding purpose of which is to improve the conditions of women and girls in menstruation. -->To discuss progress on the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we are inspired by Wikimania 2019 theme in Integrating Water, Sanitation, Health, and Gender Equality to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. While access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is central to proper menstrual hygiene management, the discussion, which explored the complex realities and potential solutions in Colombia, Sweden, Kenya, and Nepal, highlighted that menstrual hygiene is also intrinsically linked to success across the SDGs. This is particularly the case for the SDGs related to education—including comprehensive sexual education—gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, child marriage, sustainable consumption, and economic opportunity, among others. Despite the fact that 800 million women and girls menstruate every day, menstruation remains shrouded in silence and taboos. Women and girls lack dedicated, integrated services and information to menstruate in dignity, obstructed not only by lacking infrastructure—including the fact that one in three women live without a decent toilet—but also deeper challenges of gender norms, myths, and stigma. Specifically, the five pillars that constitute this view are: '''that menstruation matter worldwide; that it matters to boys and men; that is matters in all areas of life; that is matters to equality; and that it is an issue of inclusion as a whole'''

Speakers: Chaste Inegbedion Linda Fletcher