Myanmar’s military appears to have tightened controls on the movement of menstrual supplies along major routes as the country’s civil conflict continues. Local aid groups say restrictions on sanitary pads and related items are being enforced on the grounds that these goods are being diverted to resistance forces — a move that echoes the Tatmadaw’s broader “Four Cuts” approach aimed at severing food, funds, intelligence and recruits from opposition groups.
There has been no formal announcement from military authorities, but staff from the local organisation Sisters2Sisters report that frontline soldiers justify searches and seizures by claiming pads are being used by the People’s Defence Force for improvised medical purposes or to pad boots and absorb sweat and blood. Medical specialists note those claims are implausible: commercial menstrual products are not an effective substitute for proper combat medical supplies, and depriving civilians of medical items runs counter to international humanitarian protections.
Beyond inconvenience, removing access to menstrual products has serious health and dignity consequences. In conflict settings, lack of menstrual care can increase infection risk, limit mobility and force people to adopt unsafe or degrading practices. International humanitarian law offers some civilian protections, but its emphasis has often been framed around women as mothers or victims of sexual violence rather than addressing the everyday biological needs of people who menstruate.
Cultural taboos around menstruation help explain why these needs are overlooked. Policy language that is nominally gender-neutral frequently reflects a male-centric default, so the specific requirements of menstruating people are not properly recognised. As a result, menstrual items are still treated in many places as optional or luxury goods rather than essential hygiene supplies.
The deliberate restriction of menstrual products in Myanmar moves beyond collateral hardship and can be seen as a deliberate tactic that constrains movement, harms health and humiliates civilians — in short, a form of gendered violence. Because of stigma, the true scale of such measures is hard to assess, and similar practices may be occurring elsewhere without attention.
Acknowledging the full impacts of conflict on women and others who menstruate requires confronting uncomfortable realities and ensuring humanitarian responses include basic menstrual hygiene as a protected, essential need.
