Seoul is Awarded UN Public Service Award for Public Sanitary Pad Support Policy

Seoul received the great honor of being awarded the UN Public Service Award (UNPSA) for the Public Sanitary Pad Support Policy that took effect in 2016 for the amelioration of women’s health rights. On May 22, 2019, Seoul was awarded the 2019 UNPSA by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) for its policy on Public Sanitary Pad Support.

Seoul was awarded the UNPSA in 2010 for the Women’s Happiness Project, in 2011 for the Self-Empowerment Program for Runaway Teenage Women, in 2013 for the Initiative for Single Women Household, and in 2015 for the Women’s Safety Metropolitan City. With this fifth UNPSA award, the city has reaffirmed its excellence surrounding women’s policy in the international society, in addition to continuing its reputation as a women-friendly city.

Of the five UNPSA categories, the Public Sanitary Pad Support Policy was awarded within the category of “Promoting gender-responsive delivery of public services,” and it is a project for the promotion of women’s health rights that Seoul has actively pushed for since 2016.

In order to tightly secure “basic” sex and health rights for teenagers of the low-income bracket who struggle with health issues during this period of crucial growth, Seoul began support of sanitary pads starting in 2016.

In October 2018, the city first introduced the Public Facility Emergency Sanitary Pad Dispenser Project to support the health rights of women who suddenly begin menstruation or unprepared women who do not have sanitary pads while out in public.

Starting in June 2019, the emergency sanitary pad locations will be increased from 11 to 160 locations. The 160 facilities, including ▴54 youth centers, youth health education centers, youth cultural centers, and other youth facilities, ▴18 libraries, ▴42 welfare centers, ▴9 museums, and ▴ 37 healthy family and multicultural family support centers. Locations with the emergency sanitary pad dispensers can be found on the Smart Seoul Map (http://map.seoul.go.kr).

The 2019 UN Public Service Forum and Awards Ceremony will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan from June 24-26, 2019. Seoul will take part in the UNPSA ceremony and forum to share cases of the city’s excellent policies and also produce a manual with policies that have been verified by the UN to offer to undeveloped cities. Seoul plans to contribute to the development of cities worldwide through the introduction of the Seoul-type policy models.

http://english.seoul.go.kr/seoul-is-awarded-un-public-service-awards-for-public-sanitary-pad-support-policy/?cp=7&cat=29