Based on a Swedish initiative the global standardization organization, ISO, will now start to develop standards related to menstrual products. The result from the world-wide vote came on January 3rd and Sweden has offered to lead the international group that will be established.

– For women and girls' access to safe and qualitative menstrual products is a necessity to attend school and work. It is a basic matter of justice and equality, says Anna Sjögren, Project Manager at Swedish Institute for Standards (SIS).

Each day 300 million people menstruate making this a global issue affecting people everywhere regardless of income levels.

Menstrual products are regulated differently around the world. In Europe they are classified as consumer products while in USA menstrual products are considered a medical device. A few countries do also have national standards for some menstrual products, but so far, a joint understanding of what quality means for these products is lacking.

– Most products that are intended to be used inside the body or near sensitive parts of the body, such as condoms, or urine absorbing aids, international standards for quality and safety already exist. But for menstrual products it has taken until now to start the work on a global level, says Anna Sjögren, and adds that the term menstrual products includes both disposable products such as tampons and pads and re-usable products such as washable pads or cups.

Now ISO’s 165 member countries have approved to create a new technical committee specifically focusing on developing standards for menstrual products. The initiative came from Swedish stakeholders, and they have in collaboration with SIS and ISO Copolco pushed this question to the global level. Sweden has offered to lead the international work by managing the secretariate and holding the chairperson position. Representatives from different countries and with different competencies will be part of the international group developing the standards. They represent manufactures, test institute, consumer organization, academia, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations. The work will be open for all to join via their national standardization organization.

The purpose is to create common and clear safety requirements, comparable test methods, and clear consumer information. Standardization in this field also benefit product development and innovation, it increases the competitiveness and benefits trade.

– We need to expect that it will be a couple of years before there is a published standard. A lot can happen when representatives from all over the world work together for common understandings. But having consensus-based requirements developed by a wide range of representatives across the globe is also the power of standardization, says Anna Sjögren.  

For more information about the background on the proposal:

Swedish stakeholders request global ISO standards for menstrual products