Menstrual Health Is a Human Right and an Economic Imperative

Last month, ZanaAfrica was proud to co-design and participate in the inaugural Kenya Menstrual Economy Conference (KMEC), the first national gathering of its kind to bring together leaders from government, civil society, NGOs, the private sector, and research institutions to advance menstrual health, gender equity, and opportunities for girls and women across Kenya.

Under the theme, From Ideas to Impact: Strengthening Markets, Policy, and Innovation in the Menstrual Economy, the conference served as a catalyst for bold conversations about strengthening policy, expanding access, supporting local innovation, and building a more sustainable menstrual health ecosystem.

For nearly 20 years, ZanaAfrica has worked alongside government partners, communities, researchers, and the private sector to ensure that girls and women have the knowledge, products, and support they need to thrive. We were honored to help shape this landmark convening by sharing the evidence, partnerships, and lessons that have guided our work, and to join fellow leaders committed to turning ideas into lasting impact.

During the conference, Founder Megan Mukuria and Kenyan Executive Director Beatrice Jane, shared complementary perspectives on what it will take to build a thriving menstrual health ecosystem in Kenya —one that recognizes menstrual health as a human right and pairs access to quality menstrual products with rights-based health education, strong public systems, supportive policies, and community engagement.

Drawing on our past work, Beatrice highlighted the importance of coordinated action across government, communities, and implementing organizations to move from fragmented efforts to sustainable national scale. She emphasized that girls need both access to menstrual products and rights-based health education delivered through schools and communities to safely navigate puberty, build knowledge and agency, and make informed decisions about their health and futures. She also underscored the essential role of institutional funders, individual donors, and international partners in making this work possible.

In her keynote, Megan focused on the role of African manufacturing in advancing menstrual equity and economic opportunity. She underscored that strengthening Kenya's manufacturing capacity is essential to realizing the country's estimated $300 million menstrual health market, creating jobs, strengthening supply chains, lowering costs, and expanding access to quality menstrual products. At the same time, she emphasized that manufacturing is only one part of the solution. Lasting progress depends on pairing local production with rights-based health education, supportive policies, strong public systems, and community engagement.

We are grateful to our conference partners, including UNICEF, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), and the many public, private, and civil society leaders who made this landmark gathering possible.