Please note that this opportunity has now closed. Find out about our current and previous funding opportunities.    Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is an often overlooked aspect of humanitarian response. Providing safe, dignified and inclusive MHM programming will require the humanitarian sector to address a range of complex problems that no one product or service can solve.

The Problem

In an emergency setting, women and girls often lack access to adequate menstrual supplies ormaterials, private and safe water and toilet facilities for changing and bathing, or spaces and mechanisms for privatelywashing, drying or disposing of used materials (Parker et al., 2014).

All of these constraints can lead to poor MHM andsignificant health and psychosocial implications for women and girls including social exclusion and vulnerability (VanLeeuwen and Torondel, 2018). Lacking access to safe and private spaces tomanage menstruation can also increase exposure to the risk of sexual violence and exploitation in humanitarian settings(Sommer et al.,2014).

The Challenge

With nearly half of displaced populations consisting of women and girls, there is a growingurgency for the humanitarian community to better address such gender-specific needs. As part of our new strategy andambition to be a responsive and adaptive actor in the humanitarian system, we are focusing this Challenge on tacklingthree elements of this systemic problem.

   
• Lack of prioritisation of MHM – While MHM initiatives, tools and guidance are gradually emerging, there        are still significant challenges when it comes to humanitarian practitioners implementing even basic MHM        practice. There is a need for initiatives that are able to shift prevailing attitudes, behaviours and practices        within the humanitarian sector and drive the importance of MHM programming.
   
• Lack of acceptable MHM spaces – The recent focus on MHM programming has centred mostly around the        availability of relevant menstrual materials and supplies. While this is important, it is also insufficient.        Women and girls need safe and culturally-specific spaces where they can dispose of or wash and dry menstrual        materials in privacy.
   
• Limited MHM waste management solutions – The disposal of used menstrual materials is a growing and        complex challenge as it is dependent on socio-cultural norms and taboos related to menstruation and menstrual        blood, as well as on the types of menstrual materials used in an emergency. We need new, safe, discreet and        environmentally-friendly solutions for managing MHM waste.

The Calls

Across all three Calls, we’re looking for innovative solutions that bring togetherinterdisciplinary teams. We encourage applicants to think holistically about their chosen Call in the broader context ofMHM programming. To facilitate this, we expect to support coordination and learning between the grantees of the threedistinct Calls.

Call 3 – Solving MHM waste management

We’re looking for innovative and environmentally-friendly solutions for menstrual waste management in emergencies to    ensure women and girls can dispose of used menstrual materials safely and with dignity.

Call 2 – Designing better MHM spaces

We’re looking for projects to design public and private spaces that allow women and girls to manage their menstrual    hygiene safely and with dignity in a humanitarian camp setting.

Call 1 – Shifting humanitarian norms: prioritising MHM

We’re looking for projects able to shift humanitarian practitioners’ attitudes, behaviours and practices around the    importance of MHM in emergency responses and ensure the uptake of existing good practice.

Discover more funding

Take a look at our other WASH Innovation Challenge: Exploring the barriers to inclusion faced by people living with    incontinence.

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