DSW Ethiopia Represented at Menstrual Health & Hygiene Day

The annual Menstrual Health & Hygiene Day is one of the key milestones on the international calendar and is observed globally on 28 May each year. In Ethiopia, the day was commemorated on 26 June 2026 for the eleventh consecutive year. Organised by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), this year’s commemoration was held at the Bole-Lemi Special Economic Zone (BLSEZ) and featured a-half-day symposium. The DSW Ethiopia team, led by Feyera Assefa, participated in the event and coordinated the handover ceremony of an automated vending machine installed at BLSEZ.

A vending machine, presented by UNFPA as part of its support for the workplace interventions at BLSEZ, will enable more than 30,000 female employees to access sanitary pad products free of charge and without fear of stigma, as they can obtain the products discreetly and at a time of their choosing through the automated system. To demonstrate its purpose and functionality, part of the 1,000 sanitary pad products provided by DSW were loaded into the machine during the handover ceremony. At the exhibition booth, young people from the DSW-Dolphin Youth-Friendly Clinic showcased dignity kits that they produce locally. The ceremonial session followed a workshop during which keynote speakers presented commemorative papers calling for actions to ensure the accessibility of menstrual hygiene products in workplace and in schools alike.

“Let us ensure a nation with universal accessibility to menstrual hygiene products,” was the national theme echoed throughout the conference hall, serving as a resounding call to action. Messages reinforcing this commitment were delivered by the Executive Director of BLSEZ as well as representatives from UNICEF and UNFPA during their brief presentations. “As we observe and commemorate this day, it becomes a day of action to ensure affordable, safe, and quality menstrual hygiene products are accessible to all in the most convenient manner possible, so that no girl or woman drops out of school or misses work due to lack of access to dignity kits. As a representative of the UNFPA country office in Ethiopia, I am proud to support an intervention at BLSEZ undertaken by our strategic partner DSW. Together, we handover the automated menstrual hygiene product vending machine in honour of this day,” enthused Koffi Kouame.   

“Affordability remains a challenge in ensuring access to menstrual hygiene products for tens of thousands of girls and women, whether they are in the schools or working in industrial parks,” noted an official representing Dr. Aboubacar Kambo, UNICEF’s country representative in Ethiopia.  He further cited a study that the lack of access to menstrual hygiene products contributes to absenteeism, affecting 53 percent of female students.

An official from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) reaffirmed that the lack of affordability and accessibility of menstrual hygiene products continues to pose significant challenges, forcing many young girls to drop out of school or leave their jobs. Efforts to scale up production and improve affordability by incentivising private sector investment, including trimming the tax burden, are among the measures currently being undertaken to address these challenges.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Dereje Duguma, State Minster of Ministry of Health (MoH) appreciated the enthusiasm demonstrated by participants of the symposium in commemoration of “Menstrual Hygiene/Health Day. “The issues of affordability and access to quality menstrual hygiene products have been progressively addressed through various measures over the years. We currently have the lowest tax system on these particular products, which has encouraged both domestic producers and importers of the menstrual hygiene products. The Ministry has set an objective of achieving tax-free menstrual hygiene products, whether produced locally or imported from overseas, provided that they meet the required quality and safety standards,” Dr. Dereje remarked.

As one of the final activities of the 11^th Menstrual Health & Hygiene Day commemoration, the Tena-Lehulum Youth Empowerment Center from Hosana presented a short drama performance focusing on high-level advocacy against discriminatory social norms, the lack of access to sanitary pad products, and the underlying challenges that make it difficult for many adolescent girls to attend schools regularly during their period. To support the symposium proceedings and enhance the visual presentation of animated images and key messages, DSW facilitated the installation of an LED screen at the venue.