The Last Taboo: Menstrual hygiene management in the Pacific

Burnet Institute, WaterAid and the International Women’s Development Agency led a qualitative study to explore the barriers to women’s and girls’ effective menstrual hygiene management in Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 2016-17.

The study described impacts on their participation in education and work and identified opportunities to improve women’s and girls’ ability to manage their menstruation more effectively.

The study involved focus group discussions and interviews with 307 women, men and adolescent girls, and observation of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities in 10 schools and workplaces. The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade funded the research through Pacific Women Shaping Pacific Development.