The human rights-based approach focuses on meaningful participation, and the need to ensure that girls and women are fully empowered. This event is part of a series of DG INTPA Equality Month and international day for Menstrual Health Management (MHM), which aims to offer a safe and open space for debate and discussion on equality and diversity.
The focus of this event is on how to use innovative solutions, AI and social media to enhance meaningful participation and promote new products on the market, that will assist girls and women to combat period poverty and ensure meaningful participation.
Moreover, the event focuses on how to strengthen private sector, civils society participation and enhance locally solutions. The human based rights approach aims to ensure that all segments of the targeted population can participate meaningfully. Still today, more than 500 million of women and girls are excluded from participating and live their lives fully, due to poor access to menstrual health products, caused by a lack of education, persisting taboos and stigma, as well as limited access to affordable hygienic menstrual products. As a result, lack access to hygiene products which prevent them from reaching their full potential.
The overarching goal of this event is to: discuss and highlight good practices that ensure diversity by safeguarding that no one is held back because they menstruate. Also, the event is part of the EU diversity month to celebrate International Menstrual Day.
- the EU's international role | international cooperation
- Thursday 30 May 2024, 11:30 - 13:00 (CEST)
- Brussels, Belgium
Practical information
- When
- Thursday 30 May 2024, 11:30 - 13:00 (CEST)
- Where
- InfoPointBrussels, Belgium
- Languages
- English
- Organisers
- International Partnerships InfoPoint
Description
According to Human Rights Watch, adhering to human rights principles requires particular attention to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized groups, the impact of programs on their rights, and the establishment of procedures to ensure non-discrimination and equality, accountability and participation in an organization’s operations. Human rights standards should guide all stages of programming and any direct or indirect discrimination on any grounds should be eliminated.
Working on Menstrual Health Management (MHM) through a human rights lens will often require looking at systemic problems, as these most often constitute the barriers to the realization of human rights. Human rights provisions and guarantees can be found in many constitutions, laws and policies. However, the real test is whether in everyday life people can enjoy their human rights.
The International Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May, is powered by more than 900 partner organisations that drive advocacy and action for menstrual health and hygiene all around the world, many of these organisations receive support from DG INTPA and DG NEAR, a list of all partners can be found on this link: MH Day supporters | MHDay
This InfoPoint event also aims to break the taboos and end the stigma surrounding menstruation and raise awareness about the challenges regarding access to menstrual products, education about menstruation and period-friendly sanitation facilities, and share best practices. All of this contributes to the GAP III especially in regards to our SRHR portfolio but also to Women’s economic empowerment.
Speakers
- Micha Ramakers, Deputy Head of Equality, Human Rights and Democratic Governance, INTPA G1
- Gerda Binder, Senior Advisor, Gender & Technology UNICEF, on the OKY App
- Silvia Castro, Junior Economist and Doctoral Candidate at Munich Graduate School of Economics
- Reinhold Elges, Director of the GIZ Representation in Brussels
- Inonge Kaloustian, Member of the Zambian Women’s National Football Team and a public health expert
- Leisa Hirtz, CEO, Founder Bfree, Women's Global Health Innovations, developer of the innovative Bfree Cup
- Trine Angeline, Sig CEO, Real Relief
- Elena Kasko, Deputy Director, Senior Policy and Strategic Partnership Advisor at the UNFPA Representation Office in Brussels
Language: English
Q&A session languages: English