{"id":161610,"date":"2026-05-27T14:23:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T11:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/?post_type=artikkelit&p=161610"},"modified":"2026-05-27T14:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T11:28:13","slug":"menstruation-taboos-hold-strong-in-myanmar","status":"publish","type":"artikkelit","link":"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/latest-news\/articles\/menstruation-taboos-hold-strong-in-myanmar\/","title":{"rendered":"Menstruation taboos hold strong in Myanmar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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\nMenstruation taboos <\/span>
hold strong in Myanmar\n<\/span><\/h1>

Menstruation<\/span>taboos<\/span>hold<\/span>strong<\/span>in<\/span>Myanmar<\/span><\/h1>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

SOMETHING FLIES\u00a0<\/strong>into a small black plastic bag at the store checkout so quickly that no one else has time to notice. It\u2019s a pack of sanitary pads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menstruation is surrounded by such strong taboos in Myanmar that rituals like this have become commonplace. However, as the name suggests, menstruation occurs once a month for most girls and women, even in places where it is not spoken of openly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menstrual products have become a contentious issue in the country in recent months. Violent armed conflicts have been raging across Myanmar for five years now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government has attempted to undermine the rebels\u2019 capabilities in various ways. One such measure is a ban on transporting sanitary pads to conflict zones. The reason given was that the pads could be used as medical supplies, for example, to dress bleeding wounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KATUN\u00c4KYM\u00c4
In Myanmar\u2019s Rakhine State, the conflict has forced nearly half a million people to become internally displaced. In the refugee camps, people are forced to live in cramped conditions and share everything with thousands of others.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

CONFLICT<\/strong>\u00a0has forced more than 3.5 million people in Myanmar to become internally displaced. About half of them are girls and women. Restrictions on access to menstrual products have had the most significant impact on their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The availability of sanitary pads has already been a problem in refugee camps, and the new regulations are making life even more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIf I absolutely have to, I\u2019ll buy sanitary pads on credit at the local store. If we can\u2019t even buy them on credit, we\u2019ll have to stay home during my period.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the conflict zones is the long, narrow Rakhine State, located on Myanmar\u2019s west coast.\u00a0Thein Thein Win, 41, was forced to flee her home in Sittwe District two years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLife is full of difficulties these days. Sometimes we can\u2019t afford to buy enough food. Living in a refugee camp also means that no one has much privacy,\u201d says Thein Thein Win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"NAINEN
Thein Thein Win wants to talk openly about menstruation within her own family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Her family of six who have been forced to flee their home lives in a dilapidated shack. The roof leaks, and the camp floods during heavy rains. The armed conflict also raises security concerns.

\u201cWe\u2019re not just afraid of airstrikes, but also that someone will come and steal what little we have,\u201d says Thein Thein Win.

When proper\u00a0sanitary pads are not available, girls and women are forced to improvise using various materials that pose hygiene risks. Among other things, they have used rags torn from old clothes, newspaper, and large tree leaves.

In addition to hygiene concerns, there is a fear that menstruation will be revealed to others when using the materials mentioned above.

\u201cI don\u2019t usually talk about my period with people outside my family,\u201d says Thein Thein Win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEven though women are expected to behave modestly, menstrual health issues cannot be ignored.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

She has three daughters, and as a mother, she feels it\u2019s important for her daughters to understand that menstrual hygiene is a health issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve told my daughters that we need to talk openly about menstruation. Even though women are expected to behave modestly, we can\u2019t ignore the health issues related to menstruation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daughters don’t always feel comfortable talking to their fathers about their periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThen I\u2019ll help and explain the situation to my spouse.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"K\u00c4DET
Menstrual products are expensive in Myanmar, especially for refugees.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

THEIN THEIN WIN<\/strong>\u2019s youngest daughter is only four years old, but there are still three women in the family who need sanitary pads. Due to inflation, prices have risen in recent years, and now a single pack costs about 5,000 Myanmar kyats (about 2 euros).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Thein Thein Win, four to five packages are needed each month. That comes to 8\u201310 euros.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Money is often tight, since many other families are also competing for the same low-paying, occasional jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\u201cSchoolgirls shouldn\u2019t have to miss school because of their periods, and women shouldn\u2019t have to miss work.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thein Thein Win\u2019s eldest daughter, who is 20, is unable to work. Her 17-year-old daughter has had to drop out of school and get a job to support the family. The other two children are too young to work. Thein Thein Win and her husband are not always able to find work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI try to avoid borrowing things from my neighbours, because they might then want to borrow something from us that we can\u2019t afford to pay back. That could create tension in the camp,\u201d says Thein Thein Win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I absolutely have to, I\u2019ll buy sanitary pads on credit at the local store. If we can\u2019t even buy them on credit, we\u2019ll have to stay home during my period.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"NAINEN
Maintaining good menstrual hygiene in a refugee camp is a challenge, as it is also difficult to obtain clean water and soap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

REUSABLE\u00a0<\/strong>pads may not be the solution, as they should be boiled in hot water for hygiene reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since menstruation is considered taboo in Myanmar, washing reusable pads is done in secret and cannot be done in front of others. This can be particularly difficult in a refugee camp, where water sources must be shared with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want any strangers to know that I\u2019m on my period.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menstrual products may also be hidden away, especially from men, in unsanitary places where privacy is limited in camp conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIf menstrual products were more readily available, everyday life would be so much easier.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

It can also be difficult to find privacy in the restroom facilities at refugee camps. Out of shame, girls and women may even put themselves at risk of sexual violence by using the restrooms only late at night or during the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf menstrual products were more readily available, everyday life would be much easier. Menstruation is closely linked to women\u2019s dignity and privacy. Schoolgirls shouldn\u2019t have to miss school because of their periods, nor should women have to miss work,\u201d says Thein Thein Win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur family wouldn\u2019t have to cut back on groceries just to be able to buy sanitary pads.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For 20 euros, a girl receives a hygiene kit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Donate now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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