In September 2018 the Criterion Institute, supported by Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Pacific RISE, facilitated a four-day workshop in Melbourne, Australia. The workshop brought together a diverse range of social and business actors focused on improving menstrual health management in the Asia-Pacific region to understand and overcome inefficiencies and obstacles in the menstrual health market across the region. The workshop focused on understanding the challenges faced by local social enterprises and identifying opportunities to improve market performance, and how appropriate types of capital could increase local access to menstrual health products. This report is the first of its kind and presents lessons learned. It should be read as a unique case study that captures the specific menstrual health challenges faced by countries with dispersed populations across large geographic locations with limited income and commercial access. It explores how innovative investment can be a means of facilitating a new market opportunity, enabling improved access to necessary healthcare products, and supporting venture creation for women-led businesses.

Find out more about the workshop, including participants, presenters, findings and reports by visiting mhm.pacificrise.org.

website pacificrise | PDF of Report | Videos