WHEREAS, M
enstruation is a natural biological process in which the uterine lining sheds blood and tissue when pregnancy does not occur;
and
WHEREAS, A
pproximately 1.8 billion individuals, or 26% of the global population, menstruate monthly, affirming that menstrual health is a critical public health issue;
and
WHEREAS, A
t any given time, 800 million women and girls worldwide are menstruating
,
including 86 million in the United States
; and
WHEREAS, T
his year’s theme,
What’s Been Normalized Isn’t Normal
, calls attention to the need to stop accepting painful, disruptive, and debilitating menstrual symptoms as simply “part of being a woman
”; and
WHEREAS, Menstruation can significantly impact both physical and mental health, often compounded by school systems and workplaces that dismiss or minimize these symptoms; and
WHEREAS,
1 in 3 women experience severe menstrual bleeding, and women wait an average of 4 to 11 years for an endometriosis diagnosis, reflecting major gaps in care driven by limited research
,
leaving conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis, and PCOS underdiagnosed and affecting millions
; and
WHEREAS,
70-80% of women will be diagnosed with fibroids by age 50
, and approximately
6,000 women in the United States enter menopause each day
; and
WHEREAS, The
World Bank estimates that 500,000,000 people globally lack access to menstrual products
, and
1 in 5 students miss school due to their periods
; and
WHEREAS, This lack of access for young women and girls highlights the inequity of limited resources for a natural biological process and emphasizes the need for schools and institutions to better support menstrual health; and
WHEREAS, A
recent national report from Dignity Grows shows Period Poverty in the United States is increasing, rising from 35% in 2023 to 42% of women affected, leading to missed school, job loss, and health issues, underscoring the urgent need for legislative action and stronger systems of support to ensure menstrual products are accessible to all;
and
WHEREAS, Bill No. 250849, passed by the Philadelphia City Council, is the first municipal measure to prohibit discrimination based on menstruation in the workplace and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for employees experiencing severe symptoms; and
WHEREAS, During National Menstrual Health Awareness Month, efforts continue to highlight persistent gaps and emphasize that access to menstrual products should be recognized as a basic necessity, not a privilege; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby recognizes May as Menstrual Health Awareness Month
in the City of Philadelphia.
End