Menstrual Hygiene Day is a movement for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld, where stigmas and taboos surrounding menstruation are eliminated and everyone has access to period products and period education. Even today, millions of women and girls* are not able to realize their full potential in school or work because they are held back due to inaccess or stigma around menstruation.

A critical component of a period-friendly world, we at Lucky Iron Life believe, is education about nutritional requirements prior to, during, and following an individual’s menstrual cycle. Access to the necessary nutrition would help make a dent in the world's largest micronutrient deficiency, iron deficiency, which primarily affects girls, women, and children.

Heavy menstrual bleeding is the leading cause of iron-deficiency anemia among women in high income countries. Roughly 35 percent of women of reproductive age in the United States lack sufficient iron in their bodies, while women and girls in sub-saharan Africa experience a prevalence of anemia at 49.7%. Clinical studies suggest nutrition education can improve hemoglobin and ferritin levels, preventing impaired cognitive function, fatigue and increased risks of infection associated with anemic women and girls. These findings underscore the need to equip communities with period education that includes and fosters nutritional resilience.  Integrating nutritional education with other menstrual health programs have been shown to be effective. UNESCO’s Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management promotes nutritional approaches to menstrual health, with its #KeepGirlsinSchool initiative destigmatizing menstruation and ensuring equitable access to menstrual-friendly environments.

Together with our partners, Lucky Iron Life is committed to creating a more supportive and inclusive environment for menstruating individuals worldwide. Lucky Iron Life advocates that period education include nutritional training, particularly the importance of iron, for anyone who menstruates. In collaboration with Help a Girl Out (HAGO), we are committed to driving positive change in nutritional and menstrual health. With an aim to eliminate period poverty in Canada and developing countries, HAGO has distributed hundreds of thousands of menstrual products since 2018, and opened Canada’s First Menstrual Hub in April 2024. View our video with the organization here.