WCC news: WCC webinar challenges faith communities on period poverty

Every 28 May, International Menstrual Hygiene Day draws global attention to what many institutions still decline to name. On 4 June, the World Council of Churches (WCC) goes further – hosting “Breaking the Blood Taboo,” a 90-minute online webinar, now in its fifth year, that moves from acknowledgement to accountability. Church leaders, youth leaders, and menstrual health advocates are invited to ask what they actually provide—and what they do not.  29 May 2026 “In the United Kingdom, 20% of the menstruating population cannot afford hygiene products. That rises to 25% and 33% among US teens and adults. Lack of access to water and basic sanitation morphs into a global crisis fuelled by the stigma imposed on the vulnerable,” said Rev. Nicole Ashwood, WCC programme executive for a Just Community of Women and Men. “The church must take a stand for the sake of our women and girls, whose reproductive, hygiene, and mental health are at risk.”  The programme covers hygiene, theology, and ecology. Speakers address what the body costs to sustain, what faith traditions say it is worth, and what the planet pays for disposable hygiene products. Faith leaders will share what has worked – low-cost disposal units, free dispensers in church restrooms – and a new WCC advocacy briefing will offer a checklist for communities prepared to follow its example. Three themes will anchor the discussion: the global reach of period poverty; sustainable menstrual products as a creation care imperative; and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) commitments for faith-based facilities.  The webinar is organised by four WCC programmes – the Ecumenical Water Network, Health and Healing, Just Community of Women and Men, and Young People in the Ecumenical Movement – together with the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development and Norwegian Church Aid.  The webinar runs online on 4 June, from 15:00 to 16:30. Registration details are below.  Register for the webinar   International Menstrual Hygiene Day   UN Women – Period poverty  See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland