Empowering through Menstrual Health

Millions of women in India lack access to health care and menstrual health services - basic human rights that help them to lead healthy and prosperous lives. In India, owing to inadequate menstrual hygiene, roughly 60 percent of women are diagnosed with menstrual diseases and urinary infections every year. National Family Health Survey 2015-2016 estimates that of the 336 million menstruating women in India about 121 million (36%) women are using sanitary napkins, locally or commercially produced. Rest of them use unhygienic products like newspapers, cloths, rags, dried leaves, plastics, and wood shavings during menstruation.

The issue is quite chronic in rural area wherein a 2015 survey by the Ministry of Education found that in 63% schools in villages, teachers never discussed menstruation and how to deal with it in a hygienic manner. Only 3% of women in rural India have access to sanitary napkins and early 23 million girls are forced to drop out of school.

The ongoing pandemic has further exacerbated the situation. The panic buying in the initial stages affected the availability of sanitary napkins which had serious consequences on people living in small communities.

We aim on educating women about menstrual health and hygiene to abolish and break the cycle of taboo of menstruation. Awareness programs regarding women’s health will be aimed at educating women in government schools, local community in Delhi NCR region. Along with this we hope to bring about a change in the habit of using unhygienic practices and inculcate the habit of using sanitary products and practices. The women’s health education program will also aim to educate women/girls about health risk that arise due to poor hygiene. 

Women in India are considered primary caregiver and have the power to change life of at least 4 girls or women around them. An informed girl today will be a strong woman tomorrow of the society and are going to change the world for the better. 

Providing women with sanitary napkins we aim to reduce the gap in accessibility of sanitary napkin and hygiene products. By promoting the use of sanitary napkins we wish to bring about change in habit of women who were ill informed and using unhygienic products like newspapers, cloths, rags, dried leaves, plastics, and wood shavings during menstruation. By having open conversation and education we can break the cycle of taboo that is propagated through inadequate information.