A draft menstrual hygiene policy, at long last
1 year, 5 months ago

A draft menstrual hygiene policy, at long last

The Hindu  

While the debate about whether menstrual leaves must be given or not occupied space, time and effort, more recently, traditionally, menstrual hygiene or the access or affordability of menstrual products and private and clean toilets have not been the flavour of any season. The Centre’s Menstrual Hygiene Policy, which was recently hosted online for comments from the public and experts, seems to remedy that. The Menstrual Hygiene Policy officially aims to address the long-standing challenges associated with menstruation in our country. India, with its vast and diverse population, acknowledges the critical importance of this issue and places great emphasis on framing a comprehensive menstrual hygiene policy. The Menstrual Hygiene Policy document online reiterates its commitment to align with India’s aspirations to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals — particularly in relation to good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, and clean water and sanitation.

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History of this topic

Distribution of reusable menstrual pads launched at KGBV
1 month ago

Distribution of reusable menstrual pads launched at KGBV

The Hindu  

Toyotsu Rare Earths India Limited, in collaboration with Rural Development Welfare Society, launched reusable menstrual sanitary pads, as part of its CSR initiative, to promote menstrual health and hygiene among adolescent girls at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya at Rambilli, in Anakapalli district, on Tuesday. B. Muralidhar Rao, Associate Vice President – HR, Toyotsu Rare Earths India Limited, unveiled a specially …

Over 90% of women skip consultation on menstruation-related issues over lack of women doctors, says report
2 months, 1 week ago

Over 90% of women skip consultation on menstruation-related issues over lack of women doctors, says report

The Hindu  

91.7% of older women skipped consulting doctors for menstruation-related health issues due to a lack of women doctors, reveals a research report titled ‘Combating The Silence From Menarche To Menopause’ launched by Sulabh Sanitation Mission Foundation on Friday in Mumbai. The report highlights challenges faced by women on account of issues surrounding menstruation, such as migration for work and relocation …

Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On Plea Seeking Policy For Free Sanitary Pad Distribution To School-Going Girls
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On Plea Seeking Policy For Free Sanitary Pad Distribution To School-Going Girls

Live Law  

The Supreme Court today reserved its judgment on the pan-India implementation of the Union's national policy 'Menstrual Hygiene Policy for School-going Girls' in Government and Government-aided schools for adolescent girl children from Classes 6-12.A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan on November 12 had directed the Union Government through Additional Solicitor. The Supreme Court today reserved its judgment …

States asked to submit action plans for implementation of national menstrual hygiene policy
3 months, 2 weeks ago

States asked to submit action plans for implementation of national menstrual hygiene policy

The Hindu  

The Centre has urged states to submit action plans to effectively implement the menstrual hygiene policy for school girls to ensure access to low-cost hygiene products and gender-responsive sanitation facilities in public and government-aided schools. For government and government-aided schools, the policy says that States/UTs should assess and estimate the actual requirement of menstrual hygiene products to enable efficient use …

Menstrual policy for schoolgirls approved, Centre tells Supreme Court
Trending News
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Menstrual policy for schoolgirls approved, Centre tells Supreme Court

India Today  

The Centre on Monday informed the Supreme Court of framing the "Menstrual Hygiene Policy for School Going Girls" approved by the Union Health Ministry. The Centre previously informed the apex court that over 97.5 per cent schools in the country, including government, state-aided and private ones, provided separate toilets facilities for female students. The Centre pointed out that in West …

Good news for girl students: Menstrual Hygiene Policy for school-going girls approved, Centre informs SC
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Good news for girl students: Menstrual Hygiene Policy for school-going girls approved, Centre informs SC

India TV News  

The Center informed the Supreme Court on Monday that the “Menstrual Hygiene Policy for School-Going Girls” approved by the Union Health Ministry is now in place. The policy, which focuses on improving the menstrual hygiene of school girls, was approved on November 2, 2024 in response to a court order from April 10, 2023. Court hears a PIL on menstrual …

World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024: the Delhi lawyer pedalling for period awareness
9 months, 3 weeks ago

World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024: the Delhi lawyer pedalling for period awareness

The Hindu  

For nearly two months, 44-year-old Shivani Chopra would wake up at 3.30 a.m., when the roads were still dark and loud heavy-duty lorries claimed the highways as their dominion. Tackling mindsets “Before I reach a particular place, I try to courier menstrual cups to the village or town with the help of local facilitators. So, once I reach, we distribute …

Menstrual Hygiene Day: India! Whisper no more, stay free from period taboos
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Menstrual Hygiene Day: India! Whisper no more, stay free from period taboos

Firstpost  

Respect for India’s ‘Nari Shakti’ rings hollow if we celebrate their triumphs in breaking glass ceilings while remaining silent on menstruation and hiding sanitary napkins in shame Balalakshmi encountered an ongoing struggle with persistent vaginal irritations and infections. Access to clean water, sanitary products and education on menstrual health are fundamental rights that empower women to maintain hygiene, prevent infections …

Empowerment in Every Cycle: 5 Vital Menstrual Hygiene Practices for Women
10 months, 1 week ago

Empowerment in Every Cycle: 5 Vital Menstrual Hygiene Practices for Women

News 18  

Menstrual hygiene is not just about cleanliness; it’s about ensuring the well-being and dignity of women during their menstrual cycles. Here are five essential practices that empower women to manage their periods with confidence and comfort: Choose the Right Products:It’s crucial to select menstrual products that match your comfort level and lifestyle. Educate and Empower:Break the silence surrounding menstruation by …

The conversation on menstrual leave
1 year, 3 months ago

The conversation on menstrual leave

Hindustan Times  

Whichever side one may be on regarding the debate on the need for menstrual leave, the somewhat sensational headlines we saw today is a wonderful sign that we are talking about this issue more openly than ever before. But, what we do know is that the ministry of health and family welfare has recently released a draft Menstrual Hygiene Policy …

Menstruation not handicap, no need for ‘paid leave’ policy: Minister Smriti Irani
1 year, 3 months ago

Menstruation not handicap, no need for ‘paid leave’ policy: Minister Smriti Irani

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: Union women and child development minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said that menstruation is not a “handicap” and it shouldn’t warrant a specific policy for “paid leave”. Irani was speaking in Rajya Sabha in response to a question asked by Rashtriya Janata Dal member in the upper house Manoj Kumar Jha on the menstrual hygiene policy in the …

Women in red: The Hindu Editorial on an optimum menstrual hygiene policy
1 year, 4 months ago

Women in red: The Hindu Editorial on an optimum menstrual hygiene policy

The Hindu  

Only in an ‘unseeing’ world would the judiciary need to set the government a deadline to do the obvious. The Supreme Court of India gave the Centre four weeks to finalise an optimum menstrual hygiene policy with focus on the distribution of sanitary napkins. While advancements over the years, and expanding urbanisation, have brought menstrual hygiene products within reach of …

Spreading Menstrual Hygiene Awareness at Grassroots Level
1 year, 9 months ago

Spreading Menstrual Hygiene Awareness at Grassroots Level

Deccan Chronicle  

To this day, I remember as a young girl how I used to enjoy watching the little pieces of cloth hanging outside my house-helps’ quarters on the terrace swaying in the wind and then predicting the direction they would sway in next. Hearing these gruesome stories and noticing the women teach their daughters the same things they had learnt about …

Menstrual health is a public health issue
1 year, 9 months ago

Menstrual health is a public health issue

The Hindu  

In a recent incident, a man from a city in Maharashtra allegedly killed his 12-year-old sister because he mistook period stains on her clothes as a sign of a sexual relationship. In urban India, girls and women navigate a good part of their life in the public domain — a young working woman travels for hours by public transport, a …

Close to 12% of young girls think menstruation is a curse from God or caused by disease: study
1 year, 9 months ago

Close to 12% of young girls think menstruation is a curse from God or caused by disease: study

The Hindu  

May 28, 2023 01:03 pm | Updated 01:22 pm IST - Mumbai Close to 12% of young girls did not know the correct cause of menstruation and said it is a curse from God or caused by disease, revealed a survey conducted by the NGO Child Rights and You on the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day on Sunday. Close …

World Menstrual Hygiene Day: DU students create launch pad to spread awareness
1 year, 9 months ago

World Menstrual Hygiene Day: DU students create launch pad to spread awareness

Hindustan Times  

When youngsters get together for a cause, there’s nothing that can stop them from making the society a better place. On World Menstrual Hygiene Day, some students of Delhi University share how they are working all round the year to create awareness around menstrual health. Students of Hansraj College’s Women Development Cell have conducted sanitary napkin distribution drives at various …

World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2023: What are India’s challenges?
1 year, 9 months ago

World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2023: What are India’s challenges?

The Hindu  

May 28, 2023 10:30 am | Updated 05:37 pm IST There has been an uptick in the last few years in the focus on menstrual health and hygiene worldwide. In India, MHH gained its rightful place in the public health discourse when the National Health Mission 2011 promoted a menstrual hygiene scheme among adolescent girls in rural areas. Menstrual hygiene …

Explained | Menstrual hygiene facilities in Indian schools
1 year, 11 months ago

Explained | Menstrual hygiene facilities in Indian schools

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Supreme Court on April 10 directed the Union Government to devise a uniform policy to ensure menstrual hygiene for school children. Absence of menstrual hygiene and awareness drives “period poverty” — or the lack of access to sanitary products, toilets, waste management, handwashing facilities and menstrual hygiene education — globally. The “Menstrual Hygiene Scheme” provides …

SC asks Centre to frame ‘uniform national policy’ to provide sanitary pads for girls in schools in India
1 year, 11 months ago

SC asks Centre to frame ‘uniform national policy’ to provide sanitary pads for girls in schools in India

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court on April 10 said a “uniform national policy” may be framed by the Centre in consultation with States and Union Territories to ensure menstrual hygiene by providing sanitary pads, vending and disposal mechanisms and exclusive washrooms for girl students in schools. “It is appropriate if the Union of India deals with the States and Union Territories to …

States responsible for implementing schemes related to menstrual health: Centre to Supreme Court
1 year, 11 months ago

States responsible for implementing schemes related to menstrual health: Centre to Supreme Court

The Hindu  

The Centre has told the Supreme Court that it is dedicated to improve access to menstrual hygiene for young and adolescent girls but the responsibility of providing healthcare services lies with the respective state governments as public health is a state subject. "The government is dedicated to increase awareness among adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene, build self-esteem and empower girls …

No proposal to introduce menstruation leave in educational institutions: Education Ministry
2 years, 1 month ago

No proposal to introduce menstruation leave in educational institutions: Education Ministry

Firstpost  

New Delhi: There is no proposal to bring legislation to ensure menstruation leave in educational institutions, according to the Ministry of Education. “No such proposal is under consideration in the ministry,” he said when asked whether the government will bring legislation to ensure menstruation benefit leave in educational institutions. The minister informed that the University Grants Commission has introduced “Guidelines …

'Lack Of Proper Menstrual Hygiene Hinders Girls' Education' : Plea In Supreme Court For Free Distribution Of Sanitary Pads In Schools
2 years, 4 months ago

'Lack Of Proper Menstrual Hygiene Hinders Girls' Education' : Plea In Supreme Court For Free Distribution Of Sanitary Pads In Schools

Live Law  

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Union of India and the States to provide free sanitary pads to girls studying from Class 6th to Class 12th and to provide a separate girls' toilet in all Government aided and residential schools. According to a report published by Water Aid, illnesses related to a lack …

Menstrual hygiene awareness: How it is related to period positivity
2 years, 4 months ago

Menstrual hygiene awareness: How it is related to period positivity

Firstpost  

Accepting that menstruation is not a taboo subject is what it means to be period positive. It is not a derogatory term; rather, it describes who we are as people Period positivity aims to normalise periods, menstrual health, and rights by overcoming the stigma and guilt associated with menstruation. For so long, society has conditioned us to avoid discussing periods, …

SBM: Collective effort for scaling up social change
2 years, 5 months ago

SBM: Collective effort for scaling up social change

Hindustan Times  

It has been eight years since the Government of India launched the celebrated Swachh Bharat Mission or Clean India Mission to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage in the country. The unique convergence and collaborative effort would help attain Water, Sanitation and Hygiene service delivery, which are amongst the key components of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin and the …

Menstrual Hygiene Management: Why access to safe sanitation is vital
3 years, 2 months ago

Menstrual Hygiene Management: Why access to safe sanitation is vital

News 18  

Menstrual hygiene is important for the health of women and girls. Despite the massive success of the Central government’s flagship Swachh Bharat Mission programme in providing access to toilets, menstrual hygiene remains a major issue in some parts of the country, specifically in rural areas. Menstrual hygiene management needs the toilets to have facilities to change pads in privacy, availability …

Lessons from past sanitation policies for future efforts
3 years, 4 months ago

Lessons from past sanitation policies for future efforts

Live Mint  

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal No. And yet, despite decades of national sanitation policies, data from the fifth National Family Health Survey indicates that India is far from achieving it. It is thus important to understand the evolution of India’s sanitation policies and lessons that will help India frame revised sanitation policies and achieve SDG 6 by 2030. The …

Why and How COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Women’s Menstrual Health in Rural India
3 years, 9 months ago

Why and How COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Women’s Menstrual Health in Rural India

News 18  

More than 65 per cent of India’s population lives in rural areas. But for most women in rural India, easy access to menstrual health and hygiene is a far cry. As social entrepreneur Ira Guha points out, the average period lasts five days, which means that “women were being advised that for 15 days out of every month, it was …

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021: Holistic approach towards fighting taboos, improving health
3 years, 9 months ago

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021: Holistic approach towards fighting taboos, improving health

India Today  

Ironically, period talk is treated as the most hush-hush topic in society but needs to be addressed with the highest regard. To do away with this, every year on 28 May, World Menstrual Hygiene Day is marked globally to address societal stigma and to create awareness about maintaining menstrual hygiene. History of World Menstrual Hygiene Day: The day is a …

The Many Gaps in Menstrual Hygiene Awareness in Rural India
4 years, 1 month ago

The Many Gaps in Menstrual Hygiene Awareness in Rural India

The Quint  

First and foremost is working with adolescent girls by taking the most suitable approach. From our experiences, we have seen that educating the peers is a good strategy of making the right knowledge reach the girls. Interacting with mothers and fathers helps address the intergenerational gap - because many of the myths and much of the wrong information is passed …

Women must be centre-stage in water and sanitation
4 years, 2 months ago

Women must be centre-stage in water and sanitation

Hindustan Times  

In May 2014, India was shaken by the rapes of two adolescent girls in rural northwest India, when they were out in the evening to defecate in an open field. In a recent study in the Indian Journal of Gender Studies on Women’s Experiences of Defecating in the Open, one respondent said: Some men would hide and watch us defecating …

Inadequate Menstrual Hygiene Facilities Impeding Right to Education: Jammu & Kashmir HC Seeks Center's Response
4 years, 3 months ago

Inadequate Menstrual Hygiene Facilities Impeding Right to Education: Jammu & Kashmir HC Seeks Center's Response

Live Law  

"Deprived economic status and illiteracy leads to prevalence of unhygienic and unhealthy practices which has serious health consequences," remarked the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Tuesday while taking suo moto notice of lack of access to education and menstrual hygiene for women in the Union Territories. When addressing the Right to Education and menstrual hygiene, the Court stated, "Inadequate …

This pilot project will make 12,000 Telangana students aware about menstrual hygiene
5 years, 8 months ago

This pilot project will make 12,000 Telangana students aware about menstrual hygiene

India Today  

The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has announced a collaboration with public sector enterprise Bharat Dynamics Limited on a pilot project to create awareness on menstruation and menstrual hygiene among children at government schools in Telangana. About the pilot project: The pilot project will benefit over 11,516 girl students enrolled in 75 government schools in five mandals …

No access to menstrual hygiene is the fifth biggest killer of women in the world
5 years, 9 months ago

No access to menstrual hygiene is the fifth biggest killer of women in the world

India Today  

Around the world, one in three girls face inadequate sanitation, and many others face social and cultural limits during their periods. 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 …

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2019: 5 Hygiene Tips Every Woman Should Know
5 years, 9 months ago

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2019: 5 Hygiene Tips Every Woman Should Know

News 18  

Menstrual Hygiene Day aims to create awareness and change negative perceptions around menstrual hygiene. Poor menstrual hygiene is caused by lack of education on the issue, persisting taboos and stigma, limited access to hygienic menstrual products and poor sanitation infrastructure. On the occasion of Menstrual Hygiene Day, we take a look at tips that help women maintain menstrual hygiene Keep …

GST exemption for sanitary pads not end of fight; affordability, policy changes still needed for safe menstrual hygiene
6 years, 8 months ago

GST exemption for sanitary pads not end of fight; affordability, policy changes still needed for safe menstrual hygiene

Firstpost  

Research shows that only 12% of the 497 million women in India have access to sanitary napkins, and their poor menstrual hygiene was mainly because of lack of affordability. Research shows that only 12 percent of the 497 million women in India have access to sanitary napkins and other menstrual hygiene products, while the rest are forced to use unsafe …

International Menstrual Hygiene Day: To progress, India must end culture of shame and silence, writes Shabana Azmi
6 years, 9 months ago

International Menstrual Hygiene Day: To progress, India must end culture of shame and silence, writes Shabana Azmi

Firstpost  

India is a land of contradictions and in no sphere is this more evident than in the status of women. Nowhere is this truer than in menstrual health, with as many as 82 percent of women continuing to use unsanitary means to manage their periods. The culture of silence and shame associated with menstruation has held women back because of …

Is India suffering from ‘period poverty’?
6 years, 9 months ago

Is India suffering from ‘period poverty’?

The Hindu  

A new report published by UNICEF and WaterAid found that more than a third of girls in South Asia miss school during their periods, mainly due to lack of access to toilets and pads in schools and no proper education about menstruation. ‘Period poverty’ is the term used when there is a lack of sanitary products, and other essentials like …

Menstrual Awareness Conclave to be held in Delhi to address stigma around periods, discuss sustainable solutions
6 years, 10 months ago

Menstrual Awareness Conclave to be held in Delhi to address stigma around periods, discuss sustainable solutions

Firstpost  

Padman star Akshay Kumar is the chief guest for this event, which aims to discuss the safety of girls who reach puberty in school environments, among other issues Despite the advent of new technology, menstrual hygiene remains a neglected subject in India, which is home to 355 women. To mark International Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May 2018, the first …

Is menstrual hygiene the new #SwachhBharat?
6 years, 10 months ago

Is menstrual hygiene the new #SwachhBharat?

Live Mint  

Mumbai: If the first two years of the NDA government were all about its flagship Swachh Bharat programme, the focus seems to have shifted in recent months toward menstrual hygiene management. In the lead-up to World Menstrual Awareness Day on 28 May, minister of electronics and information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted a photo of himself on 20 May at …

Padman aims to deal with menstruation taboo but over 50% young women in rural India use unhygienic methods of protection
7 years, 1 month ago

Padman aims to deal with menstruation taboo but over 50% young women in rural India use unhygienic methods of protection

Firstpost  

More than half of young women in rural India use home-based or unsanitary methods of menstrual protection, according to national health data. By Angel Mohan Mumbai: More than half of young women in rural India use home-based or unsanitary methods of menstrual protection, according to national health data. Among rural women in the age group of 15-24 years with 12 …

PIL For Sensitizing Girls About Menstrual Hygiene, Free Sanitary Napkins In Govt Schools, Delhi HC Notice To Centre,Delhi Govt, MCD's [Read Petition]
7 years, 8 months ago

PIL For Sensitizing Girls About Menstrual Hygiene, Free Sanitary Napkins In Govt Schools, Delhi HC Notice To Centre,Delhi Govt, MCD's [Read Petition]

Live Law  

With the focus on preparing an adolescent girl for puberty and adulthood through education and ensuring that school drop outs due to lack of access to sanitary products is eliminated, an advocate has moved the Delhi High Court seeking its intervention to ensure no girl child misses on her education and health due to lack of basics.A bench headed by …

PIL For Sensitizing Girls About Menstrual Hygiene, Free Sanitary Napkins In Govt Schools, Delhi HC Notice To Centre,Delhi Govt, MCD's [Read Petition]
7 years, 8 months ago

PIL For Sensitizing Girls About Menstrual Hygiene, Free Sanitary Napkins In Govt Schools, Delhi HC Notice To Centre,Delhi Govt, MCD's [Read Petition]

Live Law  

With the focus on preparing an adolescent girl for puberty and adulthood through education and ensuring that school drop outs due to lack of access to sanitary products is eliminated, an advocate has moved the Delhi High Court seeking its intervention to ensure no girl child misses on her education and health due to lack of basics.A bench headed by …

Shame, taboo resulting in unhygienic menstrual practices across much of India
7 years, 9 months ago

Shame, taboo resulting in unhygienic menstrual practices across much of India

Firstpost  

According to a study, only 55 percent girls consider menstrual cycles a natural and normal physical process. By Ojaswi Rao Only in seven of India’s 36 states/union territories did 90 percent or more women in the 15-24 age group use hygienic protection during menstruation, according to the latest national health data. Not even 50 percent women used clean methods of …

Sustainable Menstruation: Junking the sanitary napkin
8 years, 7 months ago

Sustainable Menstruation: Junking the sanitary napkin

The Hindu  

Remember the popular sanitary napkin There is an alternative to a future where used napkins are piled up in street corners — sustainable menstruation. A Facebook community called ‘Sustainable Menstruation India’, which has 10,000 members and adds more every day, encourages women to adopt eco-friendly methods like reusable cloth pads and menstrual cups. “Anyone I know who has used menstrual …

Why menstruation is a nightmare for many women in India
10 years, 9 months ago

Why menstruation is a nightmare for many women in India

Firstpost  

Not just health, but lack of menstrual hygiene management takes its toll on the education of young girls. We find a corner in the house, where the others can’t see, and then dry them.” Thus begins the plight of the Rohingya women in New Delhi where even a glimmer of sunlight to dry their sanitary cloths is difficult to find, …

A sanitation crisis in India
10 years, 11 months ago

A sanitation crisis in India

The Hindu  

Highlighting issues like menstrual hygiene management, women’s dignity and poor defecation facilities, a national convention on Tuesday raised concern on the sanitation crisis in India which has reached an alarming stage. Naffisa Barot from Gujarat talked about women’s dignity and menstrual hygiene management. “There is an issue of women’s dignity and safety, especially in the light of increasing sexual violence …

Himachal Pradesh launches hygiene programme for 4.5 lakh girls
11 years, 3 months ago

Himachal Pradesh launches hygiene programme for 4.5 lakh girls

India TV News  

Dharamsala: Himachal Pradesh government yesterday launched a menstrual hygiene programme aimed at providing sanitary napkins to about 4.5 lakh adolescent girls in the state in the age group of 10 to 19 years. The government would spend Rs eight crore on the state level menstrual hygiene programme, JAGRITI, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said while launching the programme here.Speaking on the …

Compromising on hygiene
11 years, 10 months ago

Compromising on hygiene

The Hindu  

Young girls in rural Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are yet to switch over to the use of sanitary napkins during menstruation whereas in Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha, the use of sanitary napkins for better hygiene is really catching up, latest official data suggests. The government initiated a scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene in 2011 under which highly subsidised …

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