Uganda commended for shaping global menstrual standards

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Uganda has been commended for playing a key role in shaping the world’s first global standards for menstrual products, even as stakeholders push to expand access to safe and affordable options for women and girls.

Through the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, the country is actively contributing to the development of international benchmarks under the International Organisation for Standardisation, marking a shift from past practice where Uganda and many other countries largely adopted standards developed elsewhere.

The ongoing process, expected to be finalised in 2027, aims to harmonise safety and quality requirements for menstrual products globally, a move experts say could ease cross-border trade while protecting consumers from substandard products.

Speaking at a menstrual health symposium on the second day at Hotel Africana on April 10, 2026, organised by the United Nations Population Fund, Menstrual Health Country Markets Specialist Sophia Grinvalds said Uganda’s early leadership in standard-setting had positioned it as a reference point on the continent.

“Uganda has been a pioneer in Africa in developing standards for menstrual products. There has been a standard for disposable pads for many years, and in 2014, Uganda developed Africa’s second standard for reusable menstrual products,” she said.

Grinvalds noted that the absence of harmonised global standards has long resulted in inconsistent product quality across markets, limiting both consumer trust and trade.

“Without harmonised standards, the quality of products can vary widely between countries, and trade can be restricted. That affects access, especially for low-income consumers,” she added.

Uganda is expected to table its technical input at the upcoming ISO Technical Committee 338 meeting in Accra, Ghana, where stakeholders will review draft proposals.

According to Levi Brian Kanene, a standards officer at UNBS, participating in the process from the outset allows Uganda to ensure that emerging global requirements reflect local realities.

“In the past, we would only adopt standards after they had already been developed. Now we are part of the process from the beginning, which means we can ensure the requirements are feasible and relevant to our context,” Kanene said.

He added that compliance with standards is increasingly becoming a prerequisite, with more development partners requiring certification before distributing menstrual products.

Despite this progress on the global stage, challenges persist within Uganda’s domestic market. While urban centres such as Kampala have seen a rise in disposable sanitary pad brands, access to alternative products, including reusable pads, menstrual cups and biodegradable options, remains limited.

Experts said this lack of diversity is partly driven by low consumer awareness.

“If consumers are not aware of different options or do not understand their benefits, they are less likely to try them. This becomes a barrier to market growth and product diversification,” Grinvalds explained.

The stakes are particularly high in Uganda, where period poverty continues to disrupt education. Officials estimate that up to 64% of girls miss school during menstruation due to a lack of affordable products and inadequate hygiene facilities.

Daniel Alemu, Deputy Representative of the UNFPA, said the issue has broader implications for the country’s development trajectory, given its youthful population.

“Uganda is a very youthful country. If a significant proportion of girls are unable to fully participate in school because of period poverty, this has serious implications for our ability to realise a demographic dividend,” he said.

He stressed that addressing the challenge requires more than simply making sanitary products available, pointing to persistent gaps in water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure in schools and communities.

“There is an issue of access both to products and facilities. We need investment in water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, alongside ensuring that menstrual products are affordable, of good quality and responsive to the needs of young girls,” Alemu added.

Recent findings by the Auditor General further highlight the scale of the challenge, faulting the government for failing to allocate Shs42 billion required to provide sanitary pads to vulnerable learners, an intervention seen as critical to reducing school absenteeism and dropouts.