Every day, approximately 300 million individuals are menstruating, yet surprisingly, there is no global or European standard to ensure the safety of menstrual products. This International Women’s Day, we want to spotlight the critical work of ISO/TC 338 — Menstrual Products.
With no global standard for menstrual products to date, this technical committee is developing quality standards for menstrual products to ensure fitness for purpose and safety for consumers and the environment that will make menstrual health products safer, more accessible, and more equitable worldwide. The committee is working to release a draft standard by 2027, so the time is right to get involved. Standardization is a powerful tool for inclusion, and the committee is always looking to add experts from national standards bodies, industry (such as manufacturers or testing facilities), consumer organizations, and other interested parties. Visit the ISO/TC 338 webpage to learn more and join the 50+ countries that are already involved.
Today, 42 countries are participating members and 15 are observing members, with two standards planned to be published by the end of 2027. The technical committee has two task groups, two working groups, and one ad hoc group supporting the development and planning for the roll-out of standards once they are developed. The committee is led by the Swedish Institute for Standards.
