May 28 is International Menstrual Hygiene Day.
Menstruation is not a private topic that only belongs to women, it is about the health and dignity of women.
Today, "menstrual poverty" has become a worldwide problem.
How to eliminate "menstrual poverty", how to promote global action?
How should China and foreign countries cooperate in the promotion of innovative science popularization?
"East-West Questions chinadialogue" invited UNFPA's representative in China, Justine Coulson, to talk with Kuaishou blogger "Science Girl Shell Sauce" Wang Hongtan.
The following is the video content:
[Concurrent] host Yang Yalong
Today we are going to focus on the topic of menstrual health.
In fact, auntie is not only a private topic of women, it is related to the health and dignity of the majority of female friends, and menstrual poverty has become a worldwide problem. How can China and foreign countries cooperate to eliminate menstrual poverty? Two friends, first of all, welcome Dr. Kang Jiating, the representative of UNFPA in China, and the other is Wang Hongtan, the Kuaishou blogger "Science Girl Shell Sauce".
The first question I want to ask Dr. Kang Jiating: May 28 is International Menstrual Hygiene Day.
But many people may be curious, why are there such days?
[Concurrent] Kang Jiating, representative of UNFPA in China
Menstruation is a completely natural biological process that occurs in all women and adolescent girls in the world.
The reason is that we see millions of women and girls every day, in both high-income and low-income countries, who are discriminated against or treated badly because of their menstruation.
This may be due to cultural taboos or stigma around menstruation.
It could be because they don't have the money to buy hygiene products, or they can't go to school because they've been teased.
The ability to manage menstrual health with dignity is seen as a fundamental human right, yet many women and girls do not have such a right, for a number of deep reasons.
That's why International Menstrual Hygiene Day is so important.
[Concurrent] host Yang Yalong
Now there is a notable phenomenon in the world called "menstrual poverty".
Could you please explain first what is period poverty?
[Concurrent] Kang Jiating, representative of UNFPA in China
Simply put, period poverty is when a woman or adolescent girl does not have enough money to buy the menstrual supplies and hygiene products she needs every month to manage her period health.
Not only the cost of hygiene products, but also the cost of pain medication, or the cost of new underwear she needs to buy.
would increase her budget and push her further into poverty.
The important point is that we are not only seeing menstrual poverty in poor countries.
Rather, the poorest women and girls in every country are affected.
[Concurrent] host Yang Yalong
The next question is to ask the shell sauce, are there any secret recipes that are actually misunderstood or incorrect?
[Concurrent] Kuaishou blogger "Scientific Girl Shell Sauce" Wang Hongtan
What we can hear now includes what friends around us say, as well as the particularly popular argument on the Internet, a so-called "maintenance secret recipe" for menstruation, most of which are not reliable.
But in fact, there are only things that may be hot, hot drinks themselves, and hot compresses, which may have a little effect on dilating blood vessels and may relieve a little pain.
But it's not for everyone.
So drinking hot water is fine, but it probably won't help.
But there is one thing that really cannot be touched or done during menstruation, that is, neither surgery nor blood donation.
For ordinary creators like us, we can only do our best to influence more people and let more people know the correct knowledge.
But if the cooperation between China and the West can go to a higher level, it can also reach more people and more scenes.
For example, some Sino-foreign cooperative mutual aid projects can be established on campus.
For example, on May 28, an important day like today - World Menstrual Hygiene Day.
There can be some mutual aid projects and some activities, so that all young people, children, and students who are learning and building their own cognition can have access to this correct knowledge and establish such a correct concept since childhood. , that is, the current problems of menstrual poverty, menstrual discrimination, and menstrual shame can disappear in a budding stage.
[Concurrent] host Yang Yalong
You said in an interview that the United Nations has never needed more cooperation.
What is the reason for this?
[Concurrent] Kang Jiating, representative of UNFPA in China
I'm sure many viewers have heard of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and the 2030 Agenda.
Apparently, 2030 is only 8 years away.
When we consider the global targets set by countries around the world, many countries are already seriously off track, and they are not on track to achieve the SDGs.
One of the reasons is the lack of sufficient capital investment.
The SDG agenda therefore requires greater investment.
However, it is not just the need for greater investment.
We also need to use new technologies and innovative ways to really help the progress of those countries that are lagging behind.
We have been working closely with the Chinese government and other partners for over 30 years.
We have been striving to strengthen maternal health services, and the quality of maternal health care in China has significantly improved and improved, and preventable maternal and infant mortality rates have dropped significantly.
We have done a lot to strengthen sex education for young people, providing age-appropriate sex education for young people in secondary schools and universities.
We've also done a lot of work at the national and provincial levels to support China's end to patriarchy.
I think China has made incredible progress in this regard, and this patriarchal mentality has shifted to the mentality of men and women being the same.
[Concurrent] host Yang Yalong
What can we men do to eliminate menstrual discrimination and menstrual discrimination?
[Concurrent] Kang Jiating, representative of UNFPA in China
I think we've really seen around the world that there's a huge shift in men in decision-making positions, they're starting to talk more about menstrual health, and they're talking about the role men can play in improving the lives of women and girls.
Our hope is to see this systemic change around the world.
One of the things that I think is worth noting when it comes to mental health is that we are seeing more and more that some old models of mental health support from the West are not necessarily suitable for low-income countries or are culturally different s country.
[Concurrent] Kuaishou blogger "Scientific Girl Shell Sauce" Wang Hongtan
If you are surrounded by close partners of the opposite sex, such as your partner, your family, your mother, sister, and sister, if you can help her more directly, such as helping her Buying this kind of care, or giving her enough care when she's having a hard time, is one of the little things we can do with our male friends.
(Zeng Nai, Chi Hanyu, Jin Tongyang)
Responsible editor: [He Sanli]