Menstrual Health in Practice: Education, Systems, and Shifting Norms

​Event Description

Menstrual health is often framed as an infrastructure issue—focused on toilets, water, and products. But experience shows that infrastructure alone is not enough.

This session explores menstrual health as a systems challenge, where education, social norms, and community engagement are just as critical as physical access. Girls need accurate, context-relevant information to manage their periods with confidence. Boys need understanding and empathy. Communities need to confront stigma so menstruation no longer limits dignity, participation, or learning.

We will examine how menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) education can be effectively delivered at scale, drawing on practical models and tools that are already reaching adolescents globally. The conversation will also highlight how adolescent-led approaches are driving innovation, ensuring that solutions are grounded in lived experience rather than top-down assumptions.

Bringing together practitioners, educators, and advocates, this session will focus on how to move from fragmented interventions to integrated, system-level approaches that enable lasting menstrual health equity.

Speakers

• ​Katrina Straker is CDO at Splash, building partnerships that expand access to safe water and sanitation to improve children’s health, dignity, and education.

• ​Lena Frank is Head of Period Education at WASH United, advancing global education initiatives that promote menstrual health and dignity.

• ​Tracey Malawana is Founder & Executive Director at I_Menstruate Movement, leading advocacy and movement-building to advance menstrual health equity and end period poverty.

​Discussion Questions
Why does infrastructure alone fail to deliver menstrual health outcomes?
What does effective, context-sensitive MHH education look like in practice?
How can we engage boys and communities to shift stigma and social norms?
What role can adolescent leadership play in designing and scaling solutions?

​Location & access
Accessibility matters deeply to us, and we do our best to choose spaces that reflect that. That said, some of our Oxford venues are in historic buildings without lifts. This room is unfortunately not accessible for wheelchair users, those with mobility challenges, or anyone needing step-free access.