FREE SANITRY NAPKIN PADS

Women and especially schoolgirls in India face the daunting task of maintaining their sanitary health during the ongoing pandemic. In 2018, the Indian Government launched its ‘Ujjwala Sanitary Napkin’ initiative under which women were to get access to low-cost sanitary pads. To provide school-going girls with free sanitary pads, vending machines were installed in government schools. However, due to the continued closure of such schools in the nationwide lockdown, a critical part of the supply chain of these pads has been compromised causing a sudden deprivation of sanitary pads. This exposes economically weak women to a high risk of sanitation-related diseases and complications.

What is more disturbing is that the production of sanitary napkins has been constrained to a very large extent due to the lockdown and movement restrictions still operational in states like Jharkhand and Maharashtra. The availability of menstrual hygiene products, which also include disposable and reusable sanitary pads, is highly unstable even in the most developed cities and almost negligible in rural areas located far from prime supply centres. Women who could afford the pads at their normal prices still fail to get hold of them due to the lack of public transport and mobility restrictions under the lockdown as well as the inflated prices caused by stocking and black marketing.

Menstrual hygiene education is a taboo in India. Women find it difficult to openly ask for sanitary products from a male family member (who generally fetches goods from the market). Women, especially in rural areas, are confined to their homes and depend on male or elderly female household members for procuring sanitary products.

Due to the lack of clean, private, safe water and sanitation facilities, women are unable to practice personal sanitary hygiene like changing their menstrual pads, washing cloth pads, and drying them in sunlight for proper disinfection. Due to the scarcity of pads, girls limit their food and water intake to minimise their use of the toilet so that they don’t have to change pads as regularly. These practices could lead to severe health issues in the longer run.

Around the world, one in three girls faces inadequate sanitation, and many others face social and cultural limits during their periods. Access to safe sanitation is extremely important for women and girls during their menstrual cycles. A report by Dasra suggests that nearly 23 million girls drop out of school annually due to a lack of proper menstrual hygiene management facilities. Sanitation facility in close proximity provides a considerable level of comfort for girls who suffer from severe cramping or dysmenorrhea. Besides, it also ensures that a female gets enough privacy in order to clean up properly, and maintain better hygiene. I

Around the world, one in three girls face inadequate sanitation, and many others face social and cultural limits during their periods. Access to safe sanitation is extremely important for women and girls during their menstrual cycles. A report by Dasra suggests that nearly 23 million girls drop out of school annually due to lack of proper menstrual hygiene management facilities. Sanitation facility in close proximity provides a considerable level of comfort for girls who suffer from severe cramping or dysmenorrhea. Besides, it also ensures that a female gets enough privacy in order to clean up properly, and maintain better hygiene.

t has also been suggested by Cleveland Clinic, Ohio that up to 50% of women will experience some form of digestive distress during their periods. This distress also demands the availability of easily accessible sanitation facilities. It is important to prioritise better toilets and washing facilities in schools and homes, and to provide accurate information around menstruation, to ensure the right to education, equality and well-being for girls.

Menstruation makes the need for safe water, sanitation and hygiene, especially, important for women. In such conditions, access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene can be a matter of life and death. According to a report published by WaterAid, illnesses related to a lack of water, basic sanitation and hygiene were responsible for the deaths of almost 800,000 women around the world in a single year making it the fifth biggest killer of women behind heart disease, stroke, lower respiratory infections and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Common outcomes of unhealthy menstruation management can be dermatitis, urinary tract infections (UTIs), which can be fatal if the kidney is damaged, genital tract infection, alteration in the pH balance of vaginal secretions, bacterial vaginosis, all leading to increased susceptibility to cervical cancer. These infections also tend to impact women the most when they’re pregnant or trying to