(Monrovia, Liberia , May 27, 2025), The Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in collaboration with partners with support from World Bank, will on Wednesday, May 28, join the global community in commemoration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, reaffirming its commitment to empowering women and girls through enhanced access to menstrual health resources, education, and policy advocacy.
Observed annually on May 28, Menstrual Hygiene Day is a global awareness initiative highlighting the importance of proper menstrual hygiene management (MHM). Launched in 2013 by the German-based NGO WASH United and first celebrated in 2014, the day serves as a global platform to break taboos, raise awareness, and inspire action to improve menstrual health for all.
This year’s celebration spearheaded by the Ministry’s Adolescent Girls Division, showcases national efforts toward gender equality, public health, and inclusive development through menstrual health education and advocacy. This approach is in line with the ministry’s broader mandate to promote gender equity, safeguard women’s welfare, and protect vulnerable populations, including adolescent girls, children, and persons with disabilities.
The 2025 celebration will be held under the Global Theme: “Health and Dignity”, while Liberia’s National Theme is: “Empowering and Prioritizing Menstrual Health for a Dignified Liberia.”
Gender Minister, Madam Gbeme Horace-Kollie emphasized the Ministry’s unwavering commitment: “The Ministry continues to champion menstrual health as a cornerstone of gender equity, public health, and social inclusion in Liberia. As we mark World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025, we urge stakeholders, partners, and the general public to help build a Liberia where menstruation is managed with dignity, safety, and pride, not shame or silence.”
She further noted: “Menstrual hygiene remains a pressing issue in Liberia. Many women and girls, especially those in vulnerable communities, lack access to safe and affordable menstrual products, often resorting to unsafe alternatives that pose serious health risks. These challenges deepen gender inequalities and threaten public health. Addressing menstrual hygiene is not just a health concern, it’s a matter of rights, development, and gender justice.”
In tackling these barriers, the Ministry aims to elevate policy discussions on the affordability of menstrual products, raise awareness about menstrual health and hygiene, and provide direct support to over 5,000 beneficiaries, ensuring that no girl misses out on education or opportunities due to her period.
As part of its 2025 activities, the Ministry will advocate for tariff reductions on menstrual products, expand awareness campaigns targeting vulnerable and disabled girls, and distribute hygiene supplies to safe homes, schools, and communities.
Additionally, the Adolescent Girls Division will distribute sanitary pads to 100 girls across 10 safe homes and orphanages, as well as five schools serving students with visual or physical disabilities. This will be followed by a comprehensive awareness campaign spanning six counties: Montserrado, Grand Gedeh, Grand Bassa, River Cess, Bong, and Bomi.
Through these efforts, the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection seeks to ensure that every girl and woman in Liberia can manage her menstruation safely, with dignity, and without barriers. The official program marking the day’s celebration takes place at the Invincible Park in Sinkor beginning with a parade.
