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Sarajevo, 27 May 2022 - UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund and Government of the Sarajevo Canton are joining efforts to promote menstrual health and reduce period poverty in Canton Sarajevo by kicking off the campaign: “Za naše dane u mjesecu/For our days every month” on 28th May in order to commemorate the World Menstrual Hygiene Day. The World Menstrual Day has been commemorated globally since 2014, and this year's theme is: Making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030 with the goal to make a world where no one is held back because they menstruate.

“With this campaign, we hope to reduce the social, economical, and psychological challenges related to menstruation that women face daily. Menstruation is intrinsically related to human rights – when people cannot have safe access to menstrual hygiene products, they are not able to manage their menstruation with dignity. Menstruation-related exclusion from social life and stigmatization also undermines the principle of human dignity”, said John Kennedy Mosoti, UNFPA Representative in BiH.

Starting from the next school year, menstrual hygiene products will be available in schools in Sarajevo Kanton, to ensure no girl has to miss school days due to her period. Edin Forto, Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, said: “As promised in March this year, the Government of Canton Sarajevo remains dedicated to all activities aimed at ending menstrual poverty and menstrual shame in Sarajevo Canton. We promised and we will fulfill the goal of the mission that is supply of sufficient quantities of menstrual hygienic material for all secondary schools in Sarajevo Canton, but we will also conduct other actions to reduce menstrual stigma within the target groups." 

Naida Muminovic-Hota, Minister of Education of the Sarajevo Canton stated: “The Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Education supports the project implementation and will strive to ensure education and empowerment of girls through the activities and, as a result, elimination of the period-related stigma and discrimination, which are the specific consequence of social inequalities.”