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The symposium will begin with an overview of global trends in the movements on menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) followed by a presentation on the MeW project’s initiative to create a system where "everyone has access to menstrual products in toilets." This presentation will be followed by a discussion, incorporating questions from the audience, about designing a future society that promotes menstrual well-being. This symposium will look into local examples of menstrual issues, which have been historically stigmatized, and discuss local interventions in light of global trends, as a concrete step toward gender equality and the empowerment of women.
Osaka University MeW project, in collaboration with private sectors, has developed an eco-friendly cardboard dispenser for free access to menstrual products in toilets. Our dispensers have been diffused to educational institutions and local governments.
In the workshop after the symposium, attendees will have the opportunity to experience assembling the dispenser, providing a hands-on opportunity to reflect on universal design that supports menstrual well-being. The MeW project is expanding its network to other universities and organizations, with the goal of fostering a dialogue on creating a future society where menstrual products are accessible in public spaces.

【Reflection】
The symposium, themed “Designing a Future Society of Menstrual Wellbeing,” featured a multifaceted discussion, comparing international trends with domestic initiatives. At the beginning of the symposium, the spread of the global movement on menstruation was introduced, and it was shared that menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is a social issue that has attracted attention in the SDGs as well. The MeW Project is working to create a system that allows anyone to receive menstrual products in the bathroom free of charge.

The project has developed environmentally friendly cardboard dispensers and installed them in educational institutions and municipalities. In a questionnaire survey, many users responded that they would prefer to receive the dispensers in private cubicles, and many said that the dispenser would help them calmly cope with sudden periods and provide them with a sense of empathy and security.

The importance of menstrual support in times of disaster was also mentioned, and in fact, dispensers were installed and monitored in the areas affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake in 2024. Through these activities, the importance of building a society where everyone can receive necessary items not only in normal times but more so in emergency situations was demonstrated.

On the other hand, various issues were also identified in the dissemination of the dispensers, such as budgets, securing installation sites, and opposition from the perspective of gender equality. Therefore, more and more awareness-raising activities through events and education, as well as ingenuity in institutional design, will be required in the future.

This symposium was a major step toward removing the stigma associated with menstruation and sharing the concept of installing menstrual products in toilets as "the norm for the future.” The symposium provided an opportunity for each participant to consider this issue from his or her own perspective and become involved in the co-creation of a future society.

After the symposium, a workshop was held with visitors’ participation. In the first part of the workshop, participants were divided into groups to discuss the “seven most common reasons” for opposition to the new installation of free menstrual products in toilets. Various ideas were raised, and hints were suggested for the future spread of these ideas to society at large and to their own immediate communities.

The second part of the workshop consisted of a “Senryu” session on the subject of menstruation. Each participant - those who had experienced menstruation and those who had not - created a diverse set of Senryu, which were met with a variety of comments such as, "I see!“ and ”Indeed!" were heard from each group. It was a valuable opportunity to deepen understanding of menstruation while having fun talking about it.

【Post EXPO Initiatives】
The first initiative for the future is to further promote the use of MeW (Menstraul Wellbeing) dispensers. The University of Osaka already installed dispensers on all of its campuses, with 264 units currently in operation. We would like to further spread the use of the dispensers more widely and make the concept of free menstrual products in toilets a default service through the “installation of dispensers”.

In addition, efforts to deepen understanding and empathy regarding menstruation will also be continued. Specifically, the project is considering providing opportunities to deepen understanding of menstruation through workshops for university faculty and staff and menstruation classes for the general public, and to widely communicate the philosophy and objectives of the menstrual product provision project. In order to foster a place where people can think and talk about menstruation in a cheerful manner, plans are also being made to hold events such as this one, where people can compose menstrual Senryu.

Continued development is also planned for support in times of disaster. In the disaster-stricken areas, there are many foreign as well as Japanese evacuees, and designing universal dispensers that take into account language barriers and differences in cultural backgrounds is a future challenge. In addition, the design of disaster toilets and trailers must also incorporate menstrual friendly features.

In the future, it is expected that the understanding of menstrual wellbeing will be further deepened through further networking with other universities, high schools, and local governments, as well as through collaboration with private companies and NPOs. We will continue our daily and sustainable efforts to realize a society where menstrual products are part of a default service just as toilet paper has become so.