Kenya Selected to Pilot Development of Global Standards for Menstrual Products
By Njeri Irungu Kenya has been selected as a pilot country to assess stakeholder needs across the menstrual products value chain, marking a significant step in the development of the world's first International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards for menstrual products. The initiative, being spearheaded through the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), seeks to establish globally recognized quality benchmarks for menstrual products, reinforcing the principle that access to safe and quality sanitary pads is a matter of health, safety, and dignity rather than a luxury. As part of the process, an implementing team comprising representatives from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Swedish Institute for Standards (SIS), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and KEBS conducted a technical tour of the KEBS Textile, Microbiology, Organic, and Inorganic laboratories. The visit was aimed at assessing the laboratories' readiness to implement...