AB PATA CHALNE DO- let's Normalize Periods!!

“When I got my period for the first time, I was terrified, I was completely unaware and overwhelmed by what was happening to me, if this is the destiny of all girls, then why don’t our mothers talk about it before its manifestation?”- Asha – 21 years – Dallupura Village

“ I have to skip school because of cramps and non-availability of sanitary napkins.” – Ritu,15 yrs Kotla Mubarakpur

“If I forget the date of the onset of my period (which I often do) I have to use chaddar or old pillow covers until my brothers and father have left for work. I can't talk or tell them about my period. Only when alone can I go to the shop to get a sanitary napkin for myself ”- Meena, 14 yrs Khurja

“My stomach hurts as if a road roller is crushing it, I still finish all my household work and am not allowed to take anything to stop the pain.” – Preeti,22yrs Kondli

“I dread the nights in the period hut (kurma ghar), with no light and sleeping away from entire family in pain and blood all over my clothes. there are many snakes in and around that hut .”***** 16 years, Gharcholi district

“I sit all night in the kumra ghar and pray for sun to rise and darkness to pass”- Vaishali, Gharcholi

“I dislike period, the impure blood makes me feel ashamed of myself. The gods don’t me, the family doesn't let me enter the house during that time. I really wish I was born a boy”- Aastha 12years Sarai Faridabad.

These are just a few of the many horrid stories of women battling menstrual health issues, stigmas, and misconceptions prevalent in our society. Menstruation is the process of bleeding from the vagina once a month and is often called ‘periods .’ The deep-rooted menstrual stigmas and taboos keep these menstruators at bay from dignified life. At the onset of puberty, these women are going through the transition from childhood to adulthood and experiencing all types of physical and behavioural changes in their bodies, the start of periods should be met by comfort and care from family & friends. Instead, they are slapped with unbefitting practices and stigmas attached to menstruation. From the nascency of their menstrual cycles, they are made to put up with the feeling of being impure and dirty; as if that wasn’t enough, they are often asked to mute it.

There is minimal or no knowledge passed from mothers/ teachers/ grandparents to the young menstruators, while taboos and stigmas find a distribution channel anyways. This lack of knowledge leads to additional trauma amongst these menstruators since they are unaware of what is normal or alarming in menstruation. They often are discouraged to discuss their discomforts of periods triggering unhealthy & unhygienic practices.

-         A UNICEF study shows that about 83 % of Indian girls had no idea what to expect when they started bleeding.

-         A 2014 report by the NGO Dasra titled Spot On! found that Nearly 23 million girls drop out of school annually due to a lack of proper menstrual hygiene management facilities, which include the availability of sanitary napkins and logical awareness of menstruation.

About the Campaign: Ab Pata Chalne Do

United Nations observes May 28 as Menstrual Hygiene Day to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) globally. The same is celebrated internationally to highlight the need to literate menstruators and their immediate family & friends regarding menstruation hygiene.

Lack of awareness and knowledge is a leading factor for the unhygienic menstrual health of Indian menstruators. Distributing sanitary pads and other products is only productive when the right knowledge and awareness are imparted to capitalize on the available resources. Only through awareness hygienic and healthy habits are inculcated in self and peers. To align with the UN Goals of SDG, and normalize periods by 2030, this Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28, 2022) we aspire to create a positive "chain of change". We provide menstrual literacy to 2 lakh individuals and encourage them to impart menstrual literacy to a minimum of two more individuals in the coming year. We aspire to keep this human chain of change multiply in factors by encouraging more menstrual educators and enabling menstrual education to reach each household. 

We can achieve the same by providing a

(1)         Menstrual awareness Booklet – a small 20-page graphic & descriptive information booklet on Menstruation.

(2)         Menstrual literacy – awareness sessions to destigmatize periods

To facilitate mass awareness, Sachhi Saheli has been promoting "Ab Pata Chalne Do" campaign which translates to "Let it now be Known". It is to bring to the fact that Menstruation is a natural, physiological process that mustn't burden with taboos and stigmas; instead, menstruators must be equipped with all the knowledge, awareness, and infrastructure needed to manage Menstruation in a healthy and a dignified manner.

Our goal this MHD is to provide menstrual literacy to 2 lakh and help normalize menstruation. we request you to pledge to support this campaign and donate to promote "menstrual literacy" and "menstrual awareness booklet" among underprivileged.

Our aim is to have maximum number of trained menstrual educators in the field to conduct menstrual awareness sessions & spread awareness about menstrual health to those who are living in disadvantaged and underprivileged communities. Distribution of menstrual awareness booklet alongside would ensure that the imparted knowledge reaches the homes of each individual educated making it easy for other family members to gain some insight and right knowledge from the same.

Action & Impact:

We will provide systematic menstrual and reproductive health education to these people and provide them with a special menstrual awareness book to inculcate the habit of managing periods hygienically and disposing off menstrual waste in an eco-friendly manner.

The cost of making one person literate and giving a menstrual awareness book is just Rs. 150, We need your contribution to make this knowledge float and gush smoothly, reach the target beneficiaries and equip them with books.

 the money donated by you will be used to introduce the beneficiary about the scientific knowledge of menstruation, the normal, abnormal and alarming aspects of menstruation and the concepts of ​​sustainability and cleanliness about menstruation. Along with this, each beneficiary will also be given a book as a permanent resource which will help prepare them for their periods, deal with the associated problems and will also help in managing it hygienically.

Please donate as much as you can, your little help will give these vulnerable girls the dare and care to tackle the stigma and maintain better menstrual and reproductive health.

Be a Campaigner:

If you've had a session on menstruation from Sachhi Saheli. you can also support us by taking this pledge and contributing by adding a multiplier effect to the chain we're trying to create through this campaign.

The Pledge:

I pledge to provide menstrual health literacy to --- menstruators and educate them to use 5 p pouch period-kit to normalize periods..Ab Pata Chalne Do!

मैं प्रतिज्ञा करती /करता हूँ की माहवारी के बारे में मैंने जो भी सीखा है , जैसे की 5 पी.पाउच/पीरियड किट के इस्तेमाल को ---लोगो तक पहुचाउंगी ताकि वो उनके जीवन में पीरियड्स को नॉर्मलाइज़ कर सकें -अब पता चलने दो

click here for Registration: 

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