Every year on October 11, International Day of the Girl highlights the rights of girls and the challenges they face around the world. Menstrual health and access to safe, reliable menstrual products are essential to girls’ health, education and participation in society. The ISO/TC 338 is helping to advance this work by developing the first international standards for menstrual products.
ISO/TC 338 is establishing the first ever international standards for menstrual products. With two standards currently under development, namely ISO/CD 25130 – Menstrual Products: General and Safety Requirements and ISO/CD 25071 – Menstrual Products: Vocabulary, the members of ISO/TC 338 are collaborating to ensure the safety, quality and reliability of menstrual products for millions of users worldwide.
This work directly aligns with the ISO Strategy 2030 - to “(m)ake lives easier, safer, and better.” To achieve this ambitious vision, ISO depends on the active participation and contributions of a diverse community of members, including National Standards Bodies (NSBs), to build consensus on International Standards that address pressing global challenges while ensuring that standards effectively respond to the evolving needs of industries, governments and societies. Today, ISO/TC 338 is fortunate to have NSBs and experts representing nearly 60 countries involved in its work, and proudly includes the largest percent participation of women members among all ISO TC’s.
Working for Equality: Florence Uwatwembi from Rwanda
Florence Uwatwembi is one of the dedicated delegates from the Rwanda Standards Board and is helping to refine these standards to be inclusive and globally applicable. As an Economist and Gender Mainstreaming Specialist, Florence’s work involves integrating gender perspectives into standardization, metrology, conformity assessment, institutional strategic orientation, and national policies to facilitate trade and promote inclusive economic growth.
“Menstrual product standards serve as a cornerstone for advancing gender equality and inclusion,” says Florence. “We must ensure that the standards developed by ISO/TC 338 are informed by practical, data-driven considerations that create meaningful impact for both manufacturers and users, ultimately contributing to ISO’s vision of making lives easier and safer worldwide.”
Looking Ahead
Having experts like Florence involved strengthens the work products of ISO/TC 338 and demonstrates the importance of engaging specialized stakeholders within the ISO community to develop inclusive, reliable and globally relevant standards.
Because of the deep and broad expertise on ISO/TC 338, the committee’s work products support many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 5 - Gender Equality. As science, innovative global markets and consumer needs evolve, ISO/TC 338’s work will continue to respond. Through its diverse membership and by creating uniform guidelines, this committee will help eliminate barriers to menstrual product access and promote global public health, bridging the gap between technical standardization and social impact.
Are you interesed to join the work?
Please contact your national standards body (NSB) ISO - Members or reach out to Jenny Aromaa, Committee Manager, The Swedish Institute for Standards (SIS) [email protected] or Francisca Frimpong, Twinned Committee Manager, Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) [email protected]