On 29 May, a webinar titled ‘Budget Red Lines: Ending Menstrual Poverty Through Gender-Responsive Budgeting’ brought together activists, researchers, educators, and civil society organizations from across the region. The discussion focused on addressing menstrual poverty through policy, advocacy, and budget reform. 

The session was opened by the Coordinator for Women’s Economic Empowerment and Gender Responsive Budgeting at the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN), Elirjeta Beka, who emphasized the importance of continuing the conversation beyond Menstrual Hygiene Day, marked globally on 28 May. 

The session featured insightful contributions from: 

• Jelena Ružić, Executive Director of Žensko udruženje kolubarskog okruga (moderator) 

• Marina Sakač Hadžić, anthropologist and Communications Officer at EAEA in Brussels 

• Danijela Šakota, a professor promoting access to menstrual products in schools 

• Natasha Dokovska, Program Director at Journalists for Human Rights – JHR 

• Magbule Hyseni, Executive Director of EcokosWomen 

EcokosWomen, a KWN member organization, presented findings from the first-ever research on the cost of menstrual hygiene products in Kosovo, conducted in Albanian. A corresponding policy brief in English was later developed under a Gender Budget Watchdog Network grant. The brief outlines the financial burden menstruators face and calls for removing the tax on menstrual products and increasing access to free products in schools and public institutions. During the session, Magbule Hyseni shared: 

“We started working on menstrual hygiene management with a small grant from KWN. Even though it was a small amount, when the will is strong, even a small sum can make a difference.” 

All speakers agreed that menstruation remains a taboo topic in many societies, with limited access to information from a young age. Marina Sakač Hadžić reflected on her own experience, recalling that her teacher held a two-hour class about menstrual hygiene with only the girls, while the boys were sent out to play football—an early example of how gender norms shape education. 

The session underscored the urgent need for gender-responsive budgeting to address menstrual poverty and called for evidence-based advocacy and systemic policy change. One of the main challenges that could arise from abolishing the tax is that businesses may not lower the prices of menstrual hygiene products.