Webinars: Revisiting the MH Alliance Webinar Series of 2018
The time and money required to travel across borders and continents to attend international conferences can be considerable. Since both time and money tend to be in short supply among menstrual hygiene organizations, webinars have proliferated on relevant topics in recent years.
As a result, even the smallest and most isolated organizations can get many of the non-networking benefits of conference attendance from the ease of their own computer or mobile device. Beyond cost, the ease with which webinars can be made electronically available after completion gives them further benefit over in-person conferences.
That said, past webinars too often tend to get forgotten, even when their content is just as useful and informative as the day it was initially delivered.
In light of that, we thought we would call your attention to the content of an excellent webinar series conducted by MH Alliance, including WASH United, Simavi, World Vision and GIZ back in 2018.
Part #1: Menstrual Hygiene – The issues, evidence, and gaps
Link to Part #1
Topics:
- The state of MH on the global stage (as of 2018)
- Ways to evaluate the effectiveness of menstrual hygiene programs
- Examples of evidence-based MH programs and evaluation processes
Panelists:
- Dr. Marni Sommer, Columbia University
- Lidwien Sol, Maastricht University
- Megan Mukuria, Zana Africa
Part #2: Solutions to improve knowledge, practices, and attitude
Link to Part #2
Topics:
- The state of the global discourse on menstruation
- Global and local taboos regarding menstrual hygiene
- Examples of two approaches to changing norms, values, and barriers to menstrual education
Panelists:
- Chris Bobel, University of Massachusetts, Boston
- Nirmala Nair, WASH United, India
- Bosun Jang, Sesame Workshop
Part #3: Creating Access to Menstrual Products
Link to Part #3
Topics:
- How to factor in the needs of menstruators
- Reception and challenges for different types of menstrual products
- Discussion of variable quality among products
- Common distribution options for different types of populations
- Example: World Vision / Be Girl Pilot study in 2016
- Example: Making Periods Normal project in India
Panelists:
- Nancy Muller, Path
- Wonder Mafuta, World Vision Somalia
- Charu Agarwal, Dharma Life
Part #4: Infrastructure Solutions for Menstrual Hygiene
Link to Part #4
Topics:
- Best practices for female-friendly WASH infrastructure design
- The SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) WASH in Schools monitoring framework and its relationship to MHM
Panelists:
- Therese Mahon, WaterAid
- Bella Monze, GIZ
- Hashim Khan, GIZ/Sanitation 4 Millions
- Arundati Muralidharan, WaterAid India
Part #5: Advocating for Menstrual Hygiene (from the high-level political forum on the SDGs)
Link to Part #5
Topics:
- How to link SDGs with MH across sectors at both global and national levels
- How to keep MHM prioritized and integrated within the SDG framework
- Examples of best practices in Bangladesh and Kenya
Panelists:
- Hilda Alberda, Simavi
- Inga Winkler, Columbia University
- Irene Gai, Water for Health Kenya
- Mahbuba Kumum, Simavi Bangladesh