Reigning Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu arrived in the Philippines this afternoon, April 24, to crown the winner of the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 finals, which will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on April 30.
This is the first official trip of Sandhu as Miss Universe and her first trip to the Philippines. "I am so thrilled and electrified to meet all the contestants of the Miss Universe Philippines 2022 pageant."
Through the youth-led program called “PERIOD PAINS: Tackling the Challenges of Menstrual Equity," Sandhu will also take the opportunity to have a discussion on menstrual equity with young people from the Philippines during her visit to the country this month.
This initiative was part of the global coalition for menstrual equity in partnership with The Miss Universe Organization (MUO), Sandhu, social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham aka Pad Man, DDB Mudra Group’s social impact agency DDB For Good, Changing Our World and humanitarian organization Plan International.
During the PERIOD PAINS workshop at the Citadines Bay City Manila in Pasay City on April 25, youth representatives from all over the Philippines will discuss with Ms. Sandhu topics such as, making menstrual products – sanitary pads and soap – more accessible to girls and young women, increasing young people’s knowledge and awareness on safe menstrual practices, and eliminating social and cultural taboos surrounding the issue of menstruation and periods.
“I’m so honored to participate in this initiative, while in the beautiful country of the Philippines for the 2022 Miss Universe Philippines competition,” said Harnaaz Sandhu, Miss Universe 2021. “As fans know, my platform has consistently been menstrual equity, which is a passion of mine, cultivated at an early age by my mother. It’s a dream come true to be able to make a difference across numerous countries and initiatives, all to educate and empower those who menstruate to feel safe and secure, and erase the stigma across the globe around menstruation.”
For billions of young people worldwide, menstruation is a monthly reality. Yet in many countries, people still face serious challenges when it comes to managing their periods.
Studies have shown that lack of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) affects all aspects of a girl’s life: her freedom, her mobility and her participation in school and in community.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant and unique impact on those who menstruate. The online survey “Periods in a Pandemic, Menstrual Hygiene Management in the time of COVID 19” conducted by Plan International in May 2020 showed that the pandemic has worsened the challenges experienced by menstruators, according to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) experts in 24 countries. Among these challenges include: restricting access to products, through either shortages or disrupted supply chains (73 percent agreed), restricting access to WASH facilities (68 percent agreed), increased and prohibitive prices of products (58 percent agreed), lack of access to information about MHM (54 percent agreed), reduced access and availability of clean water (51 percent agreed), a less hygienic environment for sanitary hygiene product disposal (47 percent agreed), increased stigma, shaming or harmful cultural practices (24 percent agreed).
“It is imperative that we work together to improve menstrual health and tackle period-shame not only in the Philippines, but at the global scale. By doing so, we can improve girls’ attendance and performance at school, break down taboos and misconceptions around menstruation, and raise girls’ self-esteem and enable girls to fully participate in all aspects of society,” said Plan International Philippines’ Country Director Ana Maria Locsin.
Through the PERIOD PAINS workshop, youth participants identified issues and concerns regarding MHM and Menstrual Equity in their communities and proposed solutions to address these problems.
Shally Mukherjee, Founder and Head of DDB For Good said, “The Philippines will be one of our priority intervention markets in the first year of the program. In addition to joining efforts with Plan International Philippines to scale up the already existing programs, the coalition will actively work towards creating self-sustaining ways of access to safe, hygienic and affordable menstrual products.”
Last month, Sandhu announced the launch of a global coalition to achieve menstrual equity, in her home country, India. The coalition consists of giants in the menstrual equity and non-profit space including Plan International India, DDB For Good, social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham and Changing Our World. Together their goal is to achieve menstrual equity for 5 million women and girls by 2025.