Menstrual Hygiene Management” (MHM)

Lack of awareness makes for a major problem in India’s menstrual hygiene scenario. Indian Council for Medical Research’s 2011-12 report stated that only 38 per cent menstruating girls in India spoke to their mothers about menstruation. However, in the Moradbad area this situation is more vulnerable.

1. All most mothers were themselves unaware what menstruation was, how it was to be explained to a teenager and what practices could be considered as menstrual hygiene management.

2. Schools were not very helpful either as schools in rural areas refrained from discussing menstrual hygiene.

3. Most girls rely on home-grown or other readily available material, the latter often being unhygienic and unsanitary. As per our observation 1 to 2 per cent women in this area are estimated to use sanitary napkins.

4. The lack of demand results in storekeepers not stocking up on sanitary pads.

5. School Girls and Women resorting to unhygienic practices during their menstrual cycle, such as filling up old socks with sand and tying them around waists to absorb menstrual blood, or taking up old pieces of cloth and using them to absorb blood. Such methods increase chances of infection and hinder the day- to-day task of a woman on her period.

6. No proper disposal facility for the used sanitary Napkins. That resulted in environmental issues.

Solution

Hygiene-related practices of women during menstruation are of considerable importance, as it may increase vulnerability to Reproductive Tract Infections (RTI's). Poor menstrual hygiene is one of the major reasons for the high prevalence of RTIs in the country and contributes significantly to female morbidity. So, Create Awareness on MHM at the to the school Girls students and mothers is the felt need.

Create a platform “Yuvati Forum” at village level for the purpose of the girls can be able to take a lead for new initiative in the interest of common issue regarding the health of Girls and women.

Provide the Sanitary napkin to the schoolgirls and mothers with the discounted rate.

The functions of sanitary napkins are to absorb and retain menstrual fluid and isolate menstrual fluids from the body. Important and desired properties are: no leakage, no unesthetic appearance or colour, no odour, stay in place, comfortable to wear (thin body shape), and a high level of hygiene.

A sanitary napkin incinerator machine is used to dispose used sanitary napkins safely. Used sanitary napkins are often disposed of in dustbins or open surfaces, thereby giving rise to various contagious diseases or when disposed in toilets they block the sewage system. So, all used sanitary pad will be burn in the incinerator machine. That mechanism will be established with the support of leader girls students and HM/teachers and mothers

School going girls who are now in menstrual cycle and mothers are key stakeholders of the project. Involvement with responsibility of the project activity than it will be a bigger achievement of the project and the strategies are as follows:

1. Counseling and mobilizing of parents of school going girls to help to build a better learning environment within and beyond the school and initiate the gender sensitization process in communities.

2. Community education through appropriate IEC Materials.

3. Convergence with the line department and other stakeholders.

4. Role model interaction.

1. Formation of YUVTI FORUM (Adolescent girls Forum) at village level.

With the objectives to enhance the capabilities of the adolescent girls and to create awareness on the Gender equality and awareness on health a forum of the adolescent girls will form at village level.

Objective of the forum is to empower adolescent girls by establishing their forums at village level and imparting them life skills and adolescent health education which will help them to establish their identity and self-esteem in the society.

Forum will be form at village level.

· 14 to 18 years age girls will be member of Yuvti forum.

· They will meet once in a monthly basis.

· In forum Girls will empower for the need of their bright future. Social mobilizer will facilitate the process of empowerment of the forum.

· Parent will be a part of the forum informal base.

· The forum will appreciate to girls who win the award or success in their interest area and motivate and support to other girls for their future.

2. Learning sharing and advocacy at district/block level forum:

Create a platform for work cohesively with all the non-government organization who are working in the Moradabad district is necessary to coordination. Establish the strong process for a create common and collaboratively platform to discuss the progress and opportunities at the district level and initiate the discussion and support system mechanism on common issue to support for larger impact.

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