A/HRC/33/49 by both men and women, combined with strategies to lift social taboos on menstruation, may prevent girls from being considered as adults ready for marriage but, rather, as young adolescents going through a normal phase of their development. 20 22. Poor menstruation management has far-reaching consequences for society as a whole and a lack of knowledge by both women and men reinforces the taboos on this topic. Education, awareness-raising and training sessions are important ways to address this problem. Moreover, it is not only girls and boys, but also teachers, government officials, community-based health workers and development staff, who must be informed on menstruation and its management. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation of India has issued menstrual hygiene management guidelines containing various approaches to creating an environment in which menstrual hygiene is considered acceptable and normal. 21 Education on menstruation should focus on girls before menarche to ensure girls are aware of what will happen to their bodies in time. 23. Bodily and hormonal changes, including menstruation, affect both boys and girls and their attitudes towards each other. Men and boys must be involved in education and empowerment initiatives, as they play a role in creating unequal power relations and harmful stereotypes. Caution must be taken to not confirm or worsen stereotypes and shame. Teachers in the Plurinational State of Bolivia have noted that simply introducing the topic of menstruation embarrassed girls and increased teasing from boys. 22 In India, the campaign “No toilet, no bride” proved to be successful in terms of men investing more in the construction of toilets, but some scholars have argued that it may have reinforced stereotypes and gender roles within marriage. 23 More evidence and evaluations are still needed on the effectiveness of initiatives for health and schooling, as is the development of country-level expertise.24 24. Sociocultural norms, notions of “female modesty” and masculinity and stereotypes concerning gender-assigned roles, including of women as caretakers, translate into unequal opportunities, unequal power and control over finances and resources, as well as unequal household responsibilities. Where legislation and policies reflect stigmatizing attitudes, thereby institutionalizing and formalizing stigma, they must be repealed. States may design and implement, in collaboration with civil society, awareness-raising programmes to enhance positive and non-stereotypical portrayals of women. Initiatives should aim to reveal “invisible” social norms and power relations through a context-specific gender analysis. WaterAid, for example, has undertaken qualitative research to explore how the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene services has led to positive changes in gender roles and social relations among men and women .25 25. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has recommended using innovative measures targeting the media to enhance positive and nonstereotypical portrayals of women. 26 Several attempts have been made to “break the silence” on menstruation through the use of various forms of social media. A recent Newsweek story highlighted the everyday struggle that women experience because of their 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 8 Ibid., p. 44. India, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Menstrual Hygiene Management (December 2015). Jeanne Long and others, WASH in Schools Empowers Girls’ Education in Rural Cochabamba, Bolivia: An Assessment of Menstrual Management in Schools (New York, United Nations Children’s Fund, 2012), p. 10. See https://sanitationupdates.wordpress.com/tag/no-toilet-no-bride-program/. Marni Sommer and others, “A time for global action: addressing girls’ menstrual hygiene management needs in schools”, 2016. WaterAid Australia, submission to the Special Rapporteur. See CEDAW/C/MNG/CO/8-9, para.15 (a).