Menstrual Hygiene Day: India! Whisper no more, stay free from period taboos
6 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 and manage their periods safely. On Menstrual Hygiene Day, let’s champion the use of cotton, chemical-free sanitary pads— empowering women with safer, healthier, and more sustainable choices for their well-being,” said Balalakshmi. Their campaigns aim to teach women and girls the importance of menstrual hygiene and the use of sanitary products like pads. They said, ‘Ghar kaise chalega madam, agar fizool kharcha karenge?’ The situation is really bad in the rural parts of the country,” said 25-year-old Rukmani Ahlawat who is associated with a non-profit that works towards raising awareness about menstrual hygiene among women in rural India.

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History of this topic

World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024: the Delhi lawyer pedalling for period awareness
6 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 2024: Severe health risks associated with poor menstrual hygiene
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024: Severe health risks associated with poor menstrual hygiene

Hindustan Times  

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024: Every year, Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed on May 28 to create awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene, reinstate the significance of access of menstrual products to all and break stigmas associated with menstruation. Menstrual Hygiene Day aims to busts the myths and urge people to maintain hygiene to stay healthy. As we gear …

Empowerment in Every Cycle: 5 Vital Menstrual Hygiene Practices for Women
7 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 …

How young girls in rural Bihar are taking charge of their menstrual health
8 months, 3 weeks ago

How young girls in rural Bihar are taking charge of their menstrual health

Live Mint  

Growing up in Darbanga, Bihar, 17-year-old Aarti Kumari’s knowledge about menstruation was the bare minimum. “We held discussions with young girls and talked to them about the importance of using hygienic products during menstruation, how anaemia affects menstruating women and safe practices. In Bihar, more than 40% of women aged 15-19 don’t use hygiene products such as sanitary pads during …

The conversation on menstrual leave
1 year 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 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 …

Spreading Menstrual Hygiene Awareness at Grassroots Level
1 year, 5 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 …

Let’s demystify feminine hygiene
1 year, 6 months ago

Let’s demystify feminine hygiene

Live Mint  

The subject of feminine hygiene that is – because as a woman you are either shushed or met with awkward giggles when you want to talk about it. Feminine hygiene essentially is the health of the vagina, a closed muscular canal that lies between the vulva and the cervix of the uterus. Many factors affect vaginal hygiene including sex, pregnancy, …

Close to 12% of young girls think menstruation is a curse from God or caused by disease: study
1 year, 6 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, 6 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, 6 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, 8 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 …

States responsible for implementing schemes related to menstrual health: Centre to Supreme Court
1 year, 8 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 …

Let alone menstrual leave, these women do not have access to even washrooms or sanitary pads
1 year, 9 months ago

Let alone menstrual leave, these women do not have access to even washrooms or sanitary pads

The Hindu  

While corporate companies and others in the organised sector are debating about providing menstrual leave to working women, for lakhs working in the unorganised sector, even access to bathrooms, let alone hygienic ones, still seems like a luxury. Lack of affordable menstrual products, strenuous physical labour even on menstruating days and problems in dealing with male managers are some of …

'Lack Of Proper Menstrual Hygiene Hinders Girls' Education' : Plea In Supreme Court For Free Distribution Of Sanitary Pads In Schools
2 years, 1 month 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, 1 month 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, …

Let us break stigma around menstruation: AIIMS Director
2 years, 6 months ago

Let us break stigma around menstruation: AIIMS Director

Live Mint  

NEW DELHI: On the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Randeep Guleria, director, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, called for breaking the stigma around menstruation. For us in the healthcare community, good menstruation is important to prevent many diseases…Let us break the stigma about mensuration.” According to a survey, dirty public toilets, disturbed sleep and cramps are some of …

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022: 5 common menstruation myths busted by expert
2 years, 6 months ago

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022: 5 common menstruation myths busted by expert

Hindustan Times  

Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed every year on May 28 to spread awareness about menstruation and educate women about hygiene practices to follow during periods. The theme of Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022 is 'making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030'. Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022 spreads awareness about menstruation On this occasion, in an interview with HT Digital, Dr …

Disability and the barriers to feminine hygiene
2 years, 6 months ago

Disability and the barriers to feminine hygiene

The Hindu  

In the past decade, significant progress has been made in India by government and non-governmental actors with regard to menstrual health and hygiene management. Field experiences reveal compromised menstrual health, a basic physiological aspect of sexual and reproductive health, among persons with disability. Collaboration for solutions The United Nations Population Fund and WaterAid India are working together to understand the …

Menstrual hygiene tips every woman must follow
2 years, 6 months ago

Menstrual hygiene tips every woman must follow

Hindustan Times  

World Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day which is observed on May 28 to raise awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene. The awareness around using the correct menstrual hygiene product, dealing with skin problems during periods to disposing pads or tampons in the right way is important. World Menstrual Hygiene Day: A better understanding of menstruation from …

​70% Women in UP, Assam and Chhattisgarh Aged 15-24 Use Cloth for Menstrual Protection: Govt Data
2 years, 7 months ago

​70% Women in UP, Assam and Chhattisgarh Aged 15-24 Use Cloth for Menstrual Protection: Govt Data

News 18  

Close to 70% women aged 15 to 24 in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Chhattisgarh use cloth for protection during their menstrual period, even as India’s average stands at 49.6%, government data shows. Overall, 78% of women in this age group use a hygienic method of menstrual protection,” the report said. “Overall, 58% of women in this age group use a …

Teachers Want Timely Period Education To #KeepGirlsInSchool
2 years, 7 months ago

Teachers Want Timely Period Education To #KeepGirlsInSchool

The Quint  

Lasya was in the 6th standard when her friend got her first period. In 1995, Whisper introduced its Period education program to educate girls and their mothers on menstrual hygiene. “By the time I got my first period in the 9th standard, I already knew everything about periods through the period education workshops conducted by Whsiper. It does not help …

Let's talk period! Why normalising conversation around menstruation & menstrual hygiene is necessary
2 years, 9 months ago

Let's talk period! Why normalising conversation around menstruation & menstrual hygiene is necessary

India TV News  

In a span of seven years, Bhumi Pednekar has achieved a feat that many Bollywood actresses aspire to. Ahead of International Women's Day, India TV got in touch with Bhumi Pednekar to talk about reshaping the entertainment industry, her film choices that help change perceptions about the "ideal woman" and consciousness when it comes to brand endorsements: Vaishali India TV: …

Menstrual Hygiene Management: Why access to safe sanitation is vital
2 years, 11 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 …

Switch To Sustainable Products For Period Protection. Period.
3 years, 3 months ago

Switch To Sustainable Products For Period Protection. Period.

The Quint  

Remember when our moms used to tell us, “It is better not to wear white when you’re on your period”. How about when our local pharmacist used to pack sanitary products in black plastic bags because they thought others in the street must not know we were buying? Many women in rural and urban India are unaware of new period …

It’s 2021 and women around the world are still struggling to safely manage their periods
3 years, 5 months ago

It’s 2021 and women around the world are still struggling to safely manage their periods

CNN  

CNN — For most women in rich countries, getting their period doesn’t amount to much more than a minor inconvenience. A new report from UNICEF and the World Health Organization has revealed that significant proportions of women in many developing countries are still struggling to safely manage their periods, lacking access to menstrual products, water and private places to wash …

Why and How COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Women’s Menstrual Health in Rural India
3 years, 6 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, 6 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
3 years, 10 months 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 …

Why period shaming must stop now!
4 years ago

Why period shaming must stop now!

News 18  

We don’t question the validity of a monthly mobile bill, a weekly holiday, an alternate day hair wash or a daily vitamin. We’re allowed to talk about laser hair removal, what kind of makeup we wear and as many selfies as our Instagram accounts will allow, but mention menstruation in a room full of youth and you’ll probably hear pin …

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

Haryana education dept to provide sanitary pads to students
4 years, 2 months ago

Haryana education dept to provide sanitary pads to students

Hindustan Times  

In an initiative aimed at raising awareness about menstrual health and hygiene, the state education department has decided to provide sanitary pads to female students of classes 6 to 12 on a monthly basis. HT Image In a letter addressed to district education officers on Monday, the directorate of school education asked schools to make arrangements for the supply of …

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