Menstrual health is more than just access to pads and tampons- it’s about hygiene, education, and breaking social stigmas. On September 25th, Business Connect hosted the  Innovations in Menstrual Health: A Path to Ending Period Poverty webinar as part of its Wash Cycle series. The session brought together leaders from different period poverty organizations such as AFRIpads, Real Relief, Days for Girls, and iDE to discuss sustainable menstrual products, market systems, and policies and partnerships that can create lasting change. 

Panelists Bringing Innovation to the forefront:

The panel featured four trailblazers in the menstrual health space:

• Michelle Tjeenk Willink, CEO of AFRIpads, a Uganda-based enterprise that has distributed washable pads to over 5 million women and girls across the globe.
• Trine Sig Anfeline, Co-Founder of Real Relief, creator of Safepad, an antimicrobial reusable pad manufactured in India and assembled locally in multiple countries.
• Diana Nelson, Global Advocacy Director at Days for Girls, a U.S. based NGO advancing menstrual health solutions and education worldwide.
• Martha Gebeyehu, WASH & Public Health Director at iDE Ethiopia, leading grassroots programs to integrate menstrual health into broader water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) efforts through a market based approach.

Each panelist emphasized that sustainable menstrual products must be paired with distribution networks, financing, and education to succeed. All agreed on one clear message: period poverty cannot be solved by products alone.

Barriers to Menstrual Health

Despite recent progress in the menstrual health space, significant barriers remain. Funding is one of the biggest challenges, as menstrual health requires support across products, education, and WASH. Recent shifts in USAID priorities have triggered ripple effects, with development partners losing resources, making it even harder to secure financing for menstrual health initiatives. 

Affordability is also a barrier, made worse by import taxes on raw materials that raise the cost of locally manufactured products. Beyond finances, stigma, silence, and shame limit adoption of new solutions. Many communities still view menstruation as taboo, which suppresses conversation and slows innovation. 

A lack of product choice furthers the problem—shelves in many developing countries often carry only a few disposable brands, leaving little space for reusable or alternative menstrual products that could expand access and dignity. Different areas and cultures also may call for different products- so having more than a few options is ideal for reaching target audiences.

Local Manufacturing and Community First

A recurring theme discussed in the webinar was the importance of local-first solutions when overcoming period poverty. Trine Anfeline explained how Safepad uses a hybrid model: “we manufacture the fabric in our premises in India…fabrics can then be antimicrobial treated… and distributed into the countries where we set up the local production sites, and those local production sites then bring the benefits of creating jobs”(Anfeline, 2025, 22:18). In addition to lowering import costs and creating employment opportunities, local distribution networks are essential when supply chains falter. Beyond economics, local production also builds cultural acceptance and trust—benefits that cannot be imported.

Local manufacturing and distribution also create entrepreneurship opportunities. IDE Ethiopia works with over 50 women sales agents who receive training and act as trusted community distributors. These women not only sell pads but also start conversations about menstruation, helping to educate menstruators and break silences and stigmas surrounding periods.

Community feedback is another critical way to ensure local needs are met. Days for Girls has updated its reusable pad more than 30 times, redesigning based on input from the women who use them. For example, the original white SafePad was redesigned because women did not want to hang it outside to dry, drawing attention to menstruation. Other adjustments, such as alterations for comfort in humid climates, also came directly from community insights.

Policy and Partnership: The Backbone of Scale

Beyond emphasis on community and local distribution, panelists highlighted that lasting impact requires strong partnerships between NGOs, governments, businesses, and social enterprises. Michelle Tjeenk Willink stressed that scaling solutions is impossible without collaboration. AFRIpads reached millions through partnerships with governments, NGOs, and donors-proof that no single organization can manage raw materials, production, distribution, and advocacy alone.

Policy support is equally important. AFRIpads have played a direct role in the elimination of value added tax (VAT) on menstrual products and removal import duties on fabrics, serving as critical steps for keeping reusable pads affordable. Without such policies, local manufacturers would struggle or collapse. Expanding this to regional trade policies, such as harmonized agreements across distribution regions, would further reduce barriers, allowing locally made products to reach neighboring markets at scale.

Collaboration also extends to advocacy, education, and market building. Awareness campaigns are essential. We need to normalize menstruation and make reusable products seen as modern and hygienic. Product choice plays an important role here. Women shouldn’t be limited to just a few disposable brands but should be able to select from a range of sustainable menstrual products. Menstruators across the globe may require different products, varying per their region and culture. For example, innovations like Real Relief’s antimicrobial treated fabrics make reusables feasible even in areas with limited water, but product choice must remain flexible to meet community needs. Menstrual health education and product choice/availability go hand in hand, and combining product awareness with education is how you build trust and create a trustworthy and sustainable market.

The consensus is clear: to drive real change, menstrual health must be normalized, distributed equitably, and embedded into education and local systems, with engagement from not just women, but whole communities. Collective action and long-term systemic change are essential for ending period poverty.

Why Should We Care?

Every month, millions of women and girls face barriers to managing their periods with hygiene and dignity. By investing in sustainable menstrual products, strengthening local businesses, and expanding menstrual health education, we can break the cycle of period poverty. Partner with Business Connect to create a future where menstrual health unlocks dignity, equality, and opportunity for all.

However, menstrual health is just one part of the challenge. Globally, 2 billion people still lack access to basic hygienic care. Through Business Connect for Hygiene, we are building a global resource that educates, connects, and delivers solutions to empower innovation and advance access to safe, sustainable hygiene practices. Explore our Solutions Database to discover field-tested products designed to meet real-world hygiene needs. Together, we can ensure hygiene strengthens wellbeing instead of standing in its way.