Beyond one-size-fits-all: reflections from the menstrual-friendly public toilet project across six global cities

In this reflexive praxis think-piece, we reflect on experiences conducting the Menstrual Friendly Public Toilet Project in six cities: Barcelona, Kampala, Manila, New York City, Osaka, and Rio de Janeiro. Local teams comprised of researchers and university students completed a desk review, toilet audits, and key informant interviews using a shared methodology to assess menstrual friendliness; however, each city’s urban structure, mobility patterns and social contexts provided important considerations for data collection. In this piece, we explore the unique aspects and urban design of each city and highlight the city-specific learnings, offering practical considerations for researchers undertaking place-based research.