WaterAid Australia and the Pacific Menstrual Health Network have today released a landmark report revealing widespread barriers preventing women and girls with disabilities across the Pacific from safely, comfortably and confidently managing their menstrual health.
From Silence to Solutions: Understanding the Menstrual Health Experiences of Women with Disabilities in the Pacific draws on a desk review of regional policies and 49 in-depth interviews across Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. The report identifies systemic gaps in information, access to products and facilities, discriminatory social norms and a lack of policy leadership.
The findings show nearly half of the women interviewed did not receive any menstrual health education before their first period, while 71% of women who had reached menopause learned about it only after experiencing symptoms.
Many reported staying home during menstruation due to inaccessible water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, unaffordable products, stigma and fear of discrimination.
Co-author Chelsea Huggett, Head of Strategy at WaterAid Australia, said the report highlights a critical but long-overlooked issue in the region.
"Menstrual health is a fundamental human right, however many women and girls with disabilities across the Pacific still face a double burden of gender inequality and disability discrimination. This research makes it clear; when we fail to design policies, facilities and services with women with disabilities at the centre, we fail them entirely.
It is time for menstrual health programs, water, sanitation and hygiene systems and health services to be inclusive by default, not an afterthought. Women with disabilities must be at the table, not just as participants, but as leaders shaping solutions that reflect their lived realities."
Co-author Hannah Tamata from the Pacific Menstrual Health Network highlighted the deep stigma that continues to affect the wellbeing of women with disabilities.
"Menstruation remains surrounded by silence in many Pacific communities, and that silence is even greater for women with disabilities. We heard from deaf women who cannot access basic information, from women with mobility challenges who cannot reach safe water to wash, and from carers who lack the guidance they desperately need. This report gives voice to those experiences and calls on governments and development partners to act. Inclusive menstrual health is not optional, it is essential for dignity, participation and equality.
The report outlines practical steps for governments, service providers and NGOs, including:
- Supporting disability-led research and programming, with women with disabilities in leadership roles.
- Strengthening cross-sector collaboration through the Pacific Menstrual Health Network to embed disability inclusion across WASH, SRHR, education, health and climate-resilience efforts.
- Investing in disability-inclusive WASH facilities, accessible infrastructure and affordable menstrual products.
- Developing accessible information and community education campaigns, including plain language, sign-interpreted content and tailored resources for carers.
- Building health provider capability, including removing communication barriers and strengthening inclusive SRHR services.
Despite some promising national policies in Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, the report finds that disability-inclusive menstrual health remains largely absent from government strategies.
WaterAid Australia and the Pacific Menstrual Health Network are urging governments, donors and development partners to integrate disability-inclusive menstrual health into national frameworks, and to invest in evidence-based solutions that centre the rights and voices of women and girls with disabilities.
