The Alliance for Product Quality supports partner countries’ participation in the development of an ISO standard

The taboo around menstruation causes a lot of damage. One consequence is the lack of an international standard on menstrual products, which hampers the production and trade of safe hygiene products. An ISO standard is now being developed, and the Alliance for Product Quality supports the participation of partner countries in the process.

Alongside health and wellbeing losses, the taboo around menstrual products also causes considerable waste of economic opportunities. Indeed, the lack of availability and affordability of pads, tampons, period underwear and cups gets in the way of women´s work and causes precious working hours to be lost.

At the same time, production and trade of safe menstrual products is hampered by the lack of harmonised and internationally recognised standards. Several countries have national standards defining the criteria for disposable products like pads and tampons. But standards for re-usable products such as cups or textile pads or period underwear are still rare. Among the Invest for Jobs partner countries, only Ethiopia has one. This matches the economic potential that this industry holds: according to a study commissioned by Invest for Jobs, up to 3,600 jobs could be created in Ethiopia in the reusable pads sectors alone in the coming years.

To ease trade and guarantee safe, state-of-the-art products, an internationalstandard of the International Organisation for Standardisation ISO is the way to go. This is why such a standard is currently being developed at the ISO technical committee (TC) 338 headed by the Swedish Institute of Standards. By participating in the work of this TC, countries can bring their voice to the table, get first-hand information adjust their own regulations to get the full benefit of this growing market.

The Alliance for Product Quality, as part of Invest for Jobs, is offering support to partner countries’ standards bodies to get involved in the development of the ISO standard on menstrual products. The Ivorian standards body CODINORM and Senegal’s Association Sénégalaise de Normalisation are leading the way with support provided by the Alliance in partnership with the International Trade Centre.

Further information: ISO/TC 338 - Menstrual products

Find out more about our cooperation with Mela for Her, an Ethiopian company producing reusable sanitary pads here: Improving access to menstrual products | Invest for Jobs