IMHER.net - International Menstrual Health Entrepreneurship Roundup ~ Helping innovators share knowledge across borders

21Jan

Privacy issues to watch as smart tech usage increases around the world

21 January 20210 comment

A truism within the tech world is, “if you’re not paying for the product, you ARE the product.” But what does that mean for users of the proliferation of menstrual trackers available today? Why might those working in low income contexts where smart tech is not yet commonly used still want to keep an eye on in-country data privacy legislation for the future? And what might some data-safer period tracking alternatives be in the meantime?

27Nov

Scotland Passes Bill Making it the First Country to Provide Menstrual Products Free for All

27 November 20200 comment

Widespread news of its passage back in March was premature. But with the final passage of its period products bill on November 24, Scotland has now officially become the first country in the world to decide to provide free menstrual products to all menstruators.

18Mar

No, Scotland did not just pass a bill to provide menstrual products to all in need

18 March 20200 comment

Or, more accurately, it has not passed the bill yet. Despite exuberant recent news headlines to the contrary, Scotland did not just pass a bill to provide menstrual products for all in need. At this juncture, the bill in question has only passed the first of many procedural stages on its journey to possible final passage. This post summarizes the political process that this bill still faces to potentially becoming a global first, while analyzing how accuracy can matter in news and social media sharing about global progress on menstrual hygiene issues.

13Jan

Event Announcement: Upcoming webinar on menstrual product taxation

13 January 20200 comment

A group of menstrual hygiene partner organizations based in India will be holding a webinar on 14 Jan 2020 called “Scrap the Period Tax,” which will focus on menstrual product taxation in middle- and low-income countries.

01Aug

Lessons Learned from Tanzania’s Recent Menstrual Product VAT Flip Flop

1 August 20190 comment

In July 2018, the Tanzanian Government removed the VAT (“Value Added Taxes”) from disposable menstrual pads , joining a small group of countries that no longer tax these items. But just one year later, the government suddenly announced that it would be fully reinstating the tax. This post discusses some potential lessons to be learned for anyone working towards the elimination of female-focused taxes in their own countries.

19Jul

Lessons learned in the U.S. from the passage of New Hampshire’s new pads-in-school legislation

19 July 20190 comment

New Hampshire – the home state of Dartmouth College and IMHER – on Wednesday became the 4th U.S. state to guarantee free disposable menstrual pads and tampons to girls in its public middle schools and high schools. Here are some lesson’s learned by IMHER through its involvement with that legislative process.

28May

Creative Advocacy: Adrian Dongus “Menstrual Cycling” as an MHM Advocate

28 May 20191 Comment

Adrian Dongus is currently cycling across 14 countries – from Kenya to the Netherlands – to raise money for menstrual hygiene kits to be given to refugees. While few people are likely to have the exact set of interests, skills, and resources needed to take on a challenge of this nature, this example provides an opportunity for anyone involved in MHM work to think of creative ways that they might be able to combine their own personal interests and personal hobbies – or those of others they happen to know – with the work of bringing awareness to menstrual issues.