Navigating Menstrual Health Challenges in Pakistan

“Despite the pain, I have to continue working anyway, especially with the kids. Women are not fated to take breaks and rest.”
- Menstruating Woman, 37

In Pakistan, menstruation is often associated with impurity, leading women to conceal it from male family members due to beliefs regarding menstrual blood's association with shame and religious values. Some women also fear black magic or consider it sinful for men to see used pads, prompting them to ensure thorough and private washing and disposal methods. Consequently, women employ various strategies such as burning used pads, washing them before discarding, or altering their mobility and dressing to conceal menstruation.

During the research, menstruating women were segmented into 4 different kinds of personas, based on product usage preferences and behaviours.

Another set of interviews was also conducted with influencers who played a role in the menstruating women’s lives, in terms of practices and decisions. These included mothers, husbands, mother-in-laws, lady health workers and sisters:

Interviews with store owners in Karachi and Kasur were also conducted, exploring purchasing decisions of menstruating women, mapping product awareness, perception, and affordability. Research also examined affordability and budgeting, revealing insights into spending on menstrual hygiene products.

At Ideate Innovation, we believe that design choices can transform lives. Recognizing that insights alone were not enough, we transformed research findings into actionable design principles for menstrual hygiene products tailored to low-income women in Karachi and Kasur.