Selyn Foundation Champions Menstrual Dignity on International Stage

Sri Lanka’s effective fight against period poverty was spotlighted on a global stage by the Selyn Foundation at the 3^rd International Conference on Public Health and Nutrition (ICPHN 2025) held last week in India.

The Selyn Foundation was the only Sri Lankan representation to be invited to speak at this international event, amongst an illustrious line-up of 30 speakers consisting of leading experts and thought leaders from around the world. The conference theme was “From India to the World: Advancing Adolescent Health, Nutrition, and Well-being”, resonating deeply within the global public health community and setting the stage for timely and transformative conversations.

Speaking at the event on the 14^th of October, Programme Director of Selyn Foundation’s #BleedGood Initiative, Shanuki de Alwis, presented a compelling evidence-based case to a highly engaged and appreciative audience, about the Foundation’s ongoing work in Sri Lanka under the #BleedGood Initiative, facilitating climate-conscious menstrual justice, which has seen significant and sustainable positive impact in the lives of communities, both urban and rural, in a short span of time.

Titled ’Adolescents, Access & Awakenings: Countering period poverty the climate-conscious way’, Shanuki introduced the event’s global audience of policymakers, researchers, health professionals, development practitioners and youth advocates from around the world to the results of the Selyn Foundation’s unique multi-stakeholder approach to improving adolescent menstrual health and hygiene through a comprehensive programme that provides sustainable solutions of Femme-Care reusable menstrual products combined with vital education and awareness by expert facilitators to adolescents. The presentation highlighted evidence, experiences, and innovations from Sri Lanka’s context, while also linking insights to the global dialogue on adolescent health and nutrition.

Shanuki illustrated how climate-friendly menstrual products, reusable pads, menstrual cups, and other low-waste options offer a unique intersectional opportunity; reducing environmental harm, lowering long-term costs, and improving menstrual health and psychosocial outcomes for adolescents. Evidence from global peer-reviewed research and systematic reviews was also showcased, indicating that reusable menstrual products can be as safe and effective as disposables, reduce leakage and related anxiety, and, when accompanied by appropriate education and enabling infrastructure, improve school attendance and wellbeing among adolescent girls. She explained how life-cycle analyses demonstrate that reusable options and cups generally have substantially lower environmental footprints per user-year than single-use pads and tampons, particularly when usage is responsibly managed.

Importantly, fostering climate-conscious behaviour among adolescents (through education, framing, and practical alternatives) encourages health-promoting practices and pro-social norms. The presentation highlighted randomised and observational studies on environmental education and pro-environmental action in adolescents that show measurable increases in eco-friendly behaviours and associated improvements in social wellbeing, providing a theoretical and empirical pathway by which climate-conscious menstrual programming can contribute to healthier communities.

About ICPHN 2025

Hosted by Sukarya, ICPHN is a global platform to advance evidence-based solutions for adolescent health, nutrition, and well-being. The event was attended by global policymakers, health practitioners, leading experts on adolescent nutrition, mental health, SRHR, gender equality, and digital innovations. The partners for this year’s conference included the Gates Foundation, Dasra, the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, and Maastricht University, Netherlands. This year, the conference aims to serve as a powerful platform for advancing dialogue, shaping policy solutions, and fostering cross-sector innovations that impact adolescent health and nutrition worldwide. With India home to the world’s largest adolescent population, this convening was a timely opportunity to highlight grassroots innovations while learning from global best practices — shaping a healthier, more equitable future for adolescents from India to the world.

About Selyn Foundation and #BleedGood

Established in 2009, the Selyn Foundation is associated with Selyn Enterprises – Sri Lanka’s largest and oldest fairtrade social enterprise with a legacy in empowering women. The Foundation’s flagship initiative –#BleedGood – is a multi-stakeholder movement that focuses on climate-conscious menstrual dignity, with a mission to tackle period poverty by providing communities with sustainable solutions; namely, medical-grade reusable products, menstrual health awareness, climate education and advocacy led by experts, supported by a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation model to inform policymaking.

Launched in 2020, #BleedGood began as a crisis response during the COVID-19 lockdowns and the ensuing economic crisis in Sri Lanka, with an increasing number of households struggling with period poverty. Today, the Foundation collaborates with government, private sector, NGOs, grassroots organisations and individuals to facilitate expert-led #BleedGood workshops around the country, and has also recently expanded the movement overseas with pilot programmes being carried out in global humanitarian settings.