Project Brief: Advancing Menstrual Health & Dignity in Pakistan

(Under Sang Pour Sang Partnership funded by Fos Feminista)

About Fos Feminista

Fos Feminista is a global alliance for sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice. It works with feminist organizations worldwide to strengthen access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), with a focus on gender equality, bodily autonomy, and dignity. Through solidarity-based partnerships, Fos Feminista supports local organizations in creating inclusive, rights-based, and sustainable solutions for marginalized groups.

Project Overview

This project, implemented by Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) in partnership with Fos Feminista, under Sang Pour Sang network focuses on Menstrual Health & Dignity (MHD) in Pakistan. It seeks to break the silence around menstruation, address barriers to access, and integrate menstrual dignity within health, education, and humanitarian frameworks.

The project emphasizes youth leadership, policy advocacy, community engagement, and emergency response preparedness, ensuring that menstrual health is recognized as a basic human right and dignity issue.

Objectives

To train youth ambassadors and peer educators, establish school-based menstrual health groups, and support youth-led menstrual health action plans (MHAPs).

To strengthen the capacity of organizations, youth partners, and MHAAN members through trainings, assessments, and regional and international knowledge exchange.

To develop policy recommendations, strengthen advocacy through a policy committee, and organize a National Youth Conference on Menstrual Health and Dignity.

To build the capacity of volunteers on menstrual dignity, distribute hygiene kits, and integrate menstrual health into disaster response efforts.

Geographical Focus

Punjab (Rawalpindi, Okara, Jehlum & Muzaffargarh)
Sindh (Umar kot, Tharparkar and Mirpur Khas)
Humanitarian/disaster-affected regions (as per emergency needs)

SPS Alliance Partners in Pakistan

Partners

Interventions

Blogs

Resources

Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) applauds the government’s decision to remove the sales tax on menstrual hygiene products and contraceptives in the Federal Budget 2026-27. This milestone reflects years of collective advocacy by civil society, legal experts, and grassroots activists who worked tirelessly to have menstrual products recognized as essential goods rather than luxury items.

ITA congratulates every individual and organization who contributed to this cause, including the Menstrual Health & Hygiene Advocacy Network (MHAAN), whose members have long championed policy reform on taxation and access to menstrual products across Pakistan, especially Mahanoor Omer and Mahawari Justice team.

Declaring menstrual products essential is a recognition that menstrual health is a matter of dignity, equality, and basic human rights, not a privilege. ITA remains committed to working alongside its partners and the government to ensure that this policy shift translates into real change for women and girls across the country.

Research study on 100 Local terminologies of Menstruation

Project Brief: Advancing Menstrual Health & Dignity in Pakistan

(Under Sang Pour Sang Partnership funded by Fos Feminista)

About Fos Feminista

Project Overview

Objectives

To train youth ambassadors and peer educators, establish school-based menstrual health groups, and support youth-led menstrual health action plans (MHAPs).

To strengthen the capacity of organizations, youth partners, and MHAAN members through trainings, assessments, and regional and international knowledge exchange.

To develop policy recommendations, strengthen advocacy through a policy committee, and organize a National Youth Conference on Menstrual Health and Dignity.

To build the capacity of volunteers on menstrual dignity, distribute hygiene kits, and integrate menstrual health into disaster response efforts.

Geographical Focus

SPS Alliance Partners in Pakistan

Partners

Interventions

Trainings

Meetings

Policy Dialogues

PPAF

ITA’s Delegation

FOS on PLF

FGDs and Awareness Sessions

Blogs

ITA’s Successful Advocacy for “Abolition of Pink Tax"

Resources

Research study on 100 Local terminologies of Menstruation