ABSTRACT
In this chapter, I critically examine how menstrual product-based interventions and menstrual (un)paid leave have been positioned as progressive pathways to advancing gender equality in education and the workplace. However, my assessment reveals a substantial reliance on limited empirical evidence for both approaches, urging a more robust consideration of menstruators diverse and context-specific bodily experiences. I delve into preceding debates concerning menstruation management and its implications for the right to education within the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector. I contend that the overemphasis on product-based interventions obscured the underlying systemic factors contributing to menstruation-related challenges, reinforcing stereotypes and colonial ideologies encompassing menstruating bodies. While discussions on menstruation have evolved within the broader framework of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), ongoing debates on menstrual leave introduce critical inquiries that necessitate meticulous examination before policy development. The chapter concludes that to improve menstrual health and create inclusive environments, we need more constructive reflections on the limitations of the earlier WASH approach to menstruation, which failed to acknowledge the interconnectedness between menstruation as a gendered event and broader socio-political dimensions. Likewise, there is an urgent need to listen to menstruating people's diverse voices and experiences rather than follow unfounded assumptions.
