Hygiene and menstrual health: supporting female refugees - Bangladesh

Above: Aisa collects hygiene kits for herself and her daughters in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Photo credit: Maruf Hasan/Oxfam.

With two young girls, Asia* knows the importance, and the challenges, of maintaining hygiene and menstrual health while living in a refugee camp.

Asia collects hygiene kits from an Oxfam distribution centre in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, and uses them to it support the health and hygiene of her family while they live in the camp.

Delivered as part of Oxfam’s public health promotion interventions in Cox’s Bazar, this activity is specifically focused on supporting women to retain their mobility, dignity and menstrual health. All off which can be incredibly challenging in crowded camp conditions.

Above: Hygiene kits allow women and girls to better manage their menstrual health when dealing with the challenges posed by camp conditions. Photo credit: Maruf Hasan/Oxfam.

Oxfam is working to prevent waste escaping from latrines and is also distributing hygiene kits to minimise the spread of disease. Maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure is also key, with personnel and equipment on hand to fix water pumps, toilets and other equipment if they are damaged through storms or some other cause.

Oxfam is also working with community leaders to ensure women are including in disaster preparedness work within the camp.

*Names have been changed.