Are pads the priority? Contested framings of the Brazilian National Policy on menstrual health and dignity

Policymakers and policy advocates in Brazil have adopted various framings for menstrual policymaking, including menstrual precarity, health and dignity. Relying on the concept of framing and applying the “what is the problem represented to be?” approach, we unpack how menstrual needs are represented and how these representations inform and curtail proposed solutions in the Brazilian national policy. We rely on document analysis and interviews with activists and policymakers to present the debates from 2019 to 2024. We find that the Brazilian policy adopted novel and holistic language on health and dignity which is much broader than in other national contexts. Ultimately, however, policy priorities in Brazil mirrored those in other contexts and remain largely limited to distribution of menstrual products. Meanwhile, activists have been actively demanding the implementation of a broader agenda, that includes confronting menstrual stigma, investing in menstrual education, and providing health care services to menstruators, which opens up promising avenues for future policy directions. • Menstrual precarity, health and dignity are key frames in policymaking and advocacy. • Menstrual precarity is widely used but limits solution to menstrual products. • To date, health and dignity have been interpreted narrowly in the national policy. • However, these frames provide an opportunity for meeting broader menstrual needs. • Activists demand menstrual education, provision of health care and tackling stigma.