When ISO highlight International Women’s Day and World Consumer Rights Day ISO/TC 338 Menstrual Products was featured to emphasize the importance of women’s full participation in standards development and economic decision-making. When women are represented, consumer protection systems become more focused, relevant, and credible — and when protection improves, markets work better for everyone.
Few examples illustrate this more clearly than the work of ISO/TC 338, the ISO technical committee developing standards for menstrual products. For decades, menstrual products were widely available but inconsistently regulated across markets. Safety benchmarks varied. Labelling practices differed. Testing methodologies lacked harmonization. Consumers often had little basis for comparing quality or safety claims.