This Market Study and Mapping of Existing Supply Chain of Menstrual Hygiene Products
Client: National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) & WaterAid
Date: March, 2021
This Market Study and Mapping of Existing Supply Chain of Menstrual Hygiene Products was a sub-set of a larger Water Aid three-years ‘HerWASH’ project, where the mandate was to address menstrual hygiene management (MHM) issues for women and adolescent girls (in school and out-of-school) in district Thatta, Sindh. The programme was designed to reflect a rights-based approach, where on the one hand, women and adolescent girls become more aware of their needs and rights for safe menstrual hygiene practices, with the ability to articulate their demand (right holders); while on the other hand, they are also made aware of institutions and key stakeholders that can fulfil these rights, through the provision of girls and women-friendly awareness training, hygienic facilities and products in schools, healthcare centres and communities (provision of services by duty bearers).
The Market Study focused on determining community access to Menstrual Hygiene Management products in Taluka Mirpur Sakro, and the sources which supply such material to the community.
Some specific assessment areas that this study covered included:
- Availability of menstrual hygiene products, including identifying buying/selling practices, and determining the supply and demand at the community level.
- Existing supply sources of such material, such as retail, social enterprise, local or international NGOs, with links to district and provincial level supply to establish a sustainable supply chain for menstrual hygiene products (disposable and or reusable) especially in rural and remote areas.
- Gaps in the existing supply chain for MHM products to understand current contexts of related formal and informal businesses or traditions.
- Demand, access and challenges faced by adolescent girls and women to menstrual health products in schools, healthcare facilities and market areas/ communities.
- Availability of sanitary/MHM product through formal and informal means, including service providers and entrepreneurs.