Is India suffering from ‘period poverty’?
6 years, 10 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 toilets with clean water due to financial constraints in the region. Though the UN has recognised menstrual hygiene as a global public health and human rights issue, globally 1.2 billion women lack access to basic sanitation and hygiene. “Governments simply need to ensure that every school has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.” With taboos and superstitions in different countries, even an open discussion in schools is impossible and about 71% of girls in India are unaware about menstruation before their first period.

School India Suffering  period  south  school  lack  poverty  water  clean  toilets  schools  report  india  suffering  girls  wateraid

History of this topic

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

Menstrual policy for schoolgirls approved, Centre tells Supreme Court
Trending News
4 months, 3 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, 3 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 …

Over 98% of Indian Schools Have Separate Toilet Facilities for Girls: Centre
4 months, 4 weeks ago

Over 98% of Indian Schools Have Separate Toilet Facilities for Girls: Centre

Deccan Chronicle  

Over 97.5% of schools in India provide separate toilet facilities for girl students, according to a Centre affidavit filed with the Supreme Court. The Centre has informed the court that 16 lakh toilets for boys and 17.5 lakh toilets for girls have been constructed in more than 10 lakh government schools and 2.5 lakh toilets for boys and 2.9 lakh …

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

How young girls in rural Bihar are taking charge of their menstrual health
11 months, 4 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 …

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 …

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, …

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, 10 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, 10 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, 10 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, 10 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
2 years 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 …

Fewer toilets, unhygienic conditions make life hell for girls in govt schools
2 years ago

Fewer toilets, unhygienic conditions make life hell for girls in govt schools

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: Lack of basic facilities in government schools in the city is raising concerns over women’s education on the one hand while the students are averse to attending regular classes. For instance, the Government High School in Jubilee Hills, with 1,600 students, has six working washrooms for girls and seven for boys. A Class 9 student said, “I don’t go …

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 …

Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, states on plea seeking free sanitary napkins for school girls
2 years, 4 months ago

Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, states on plea seeking free sanitary napkins for school girls

India Today  

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice in a PIL filed seeking directions to the Centre and states to provide free sanitary napkins to girls studying from Class 6 to Class 12 and to provide a separate girls' toilet in all government-aided and residential schools. The petition also submits that lack of proper menstrual hygiene management acts as a …

'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 …

Bombay HC raps Maharashtra government over delay in framing policy on clean toilets in schools
2 years, 6 months ago

Bombay HC raps Maharashtra government over delay in framing policy on clean toilets in schools

India Today  

Bombay High Court on Monday slammed the Maharashtra government over the delay in framing a policy on clean and hygienic toilets in government schools. Based on a report, the court observed that the condition of toilets in schools across Maharashtra was very bad and still there was no policy regarding the issue. As per the court’s order in July this …

Bombay High Court Concerned Over Unclean Toilets In State-Run Schools, Asks DLSAs To Conduct Surprise Inspection
2 years, 8 months ago

Bombay High Court Concerned Over Unclean Toilets In State-Run Schools, Asks DLSAs To Conduct Surprise Inspection

Live Law  

Unhappy with the Maharashtra Government's response on unhygienic conditions in toilets for young girls in state-government aided schools, the Bombay High Court on Monday said it will direct officers from the district legal service authorities to conduct surprise visits in these schools. Petitioner Nikita Gore's PIL seeks for sanitary napkins to be recognised as an essential commodity, free of taxes …

Let us break stigma around menstruation: AIIMS Director
2 years, 10 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 …

Teachers Want Timely Period Education To #KeepGirlsInSchool
2 years, 10 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 …

Special Story: Discontinuation of free distribution of sanitary napkins at schools taking a toll on girls’ health, educa
3 years, 1 month ago

Special Story: Discontinuation of free distribution of sanitary napkins at schools taking a toll on girls’ health, educa

The Hindu  

It has been about two years since the free distribution of sanitary napkins to adolescent girls under the Shuchi Scheme, a menstrual hygiene programme covering around 17 lakh girls studying at government schools in the State, was abruptly stopped. Vittal Vaggan, a Dalit writer and teacher at Taj Sultanpur High School, said that many girls simply skip classes during their …

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 …

It’s 2021 and women around the world are still struggling to safely manage their periods
3 years, 9 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, 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 …

"Menstruation Stigmatized In Our Society, No Reason To Call Menstruating Women Impure": Gujarat High Court
4 years ago

"Menstruation Stigmatized In Our Society, No Reason To Call Menstruating Women Impure": Gujarat High Court

Live Law  

The Gujarat High Court's recent 15-page order proposing to prohibit social exclusion of women based on their menstrual status at all private and public place sets out the ways in which Menstruation has been understood by the Society and across religions. Court's observations Acknowledging the ground reality, the Gujarat High Court observed that Menstruation has been stigmatized in our society …

Free sanitary products in NZ schools to beat period poverty
4 years, 1 month ago

Free sanitary products in NZ schools to beat period poverty

Al Jazeera  

Research shows that one in 12 young people skipped school because they did not have access to sanitary products. New Zealand’s schools will provide access to free sanitary products for female students from June as part of the government’s latest attempt to stem “period poverty” in the country. The initiative announced on Thursday comes following a pilot in 15 schools …

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 …

Why period shaming must stop now!
4 years, 3 months 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, 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 …

Global Handwashing Day: Soap, Water Luxuries 40% of World Don't Have at Home Despite Pandemic
4 years, 5 months ago

Global Handwashing Day: Soap, Water Luxuries 40% of World Don't Have at Home Despite Pandemic

News 18  

Handwashing has become a basic need for survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the UNICEF and WHO Joint Monitoring Programme report 2019, published earlier this year, 40 percent of the world’s population, or 3 billion people, do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home. On ‘Global Handwashing Day’, talking about the crucial need to incorporate …

Haryana education dept to provide sanitary pads to students
4 years, 6 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 …

Talking about a menstrual revolution: Asia’s period problems
5 years ago

Talking about a menstrual revolution: Asia’s period problems

Hindustan Times  

Olivia Cotes-James wants us to talk about menstrual health. No more euphemisms, no more opaque marketing, no more superstitions, and no glossing over cramps, bleeding, or pain: Reframing current attitudes is vital for female empowerment and health, as well as the environment, says the 29-year-old founder of LUÜNA Naturals, which hails itself as Asia’s first period care company with an …

‘I wish I was a boy’: The Kenyan girls fighting period poverty
5 years, 1 month ago

‘I wish I was a boy’: The Kenyan girls fighting period poverty

Al Jazeera  

In Kenya, one million girls miss school each month because they cannot afford sanitary pads, while some share used ones. Some of my classmates get their periods in class and the boys mock them, which is a reason some students do not attend class during this time.” Lack of sanitary pads has led to an estimated one million girls missing …

Fighting shame and challenges of menstruation in isolated Australian communities
5 years, 1 month ago

Fighting shame and challenges of menstruation in isolated Australian communities

ABC  

Many women and girls would be familiar with their monthly cycle, but for many Indigenous girls living remotely in outback Australia the conversation is complex. Key points: Indigenous girls and women face extra challenges during menstruation, including access to affordable products and functioning bathrooms Central Australian Youth Link Up Service provides a tailor-made menstrual hygiene guide to help young women …

Toilets: The economic impact of sanitation
5 years, 4 months ago

Toilets: The economic impact of sanitation

Al Jazeera  

More than 4 billion people lack access to proper sanitation, and that limits economic growth. But current data shows that today, there are 4.2 billion people around the world without safely managed sanitation services. “This recognition of sanitation as a human right, confirmed by the UN General Assembly in 2015, brings with it a greater sense of responsibility and a …

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 …

Uptick for India on sanitation in UN report
5 years, 9 months ago

Uptick for India on sanitation in UN report

The Hindu  

India has made great gains in providing basic sanitation facilities since the start of the millennium, accounting for almost two thirds of the 650 million people globally who stopped practising open defecation between 2000 and 2017. “India’s Swachh Bharat mission has been an example and inspiration to other countries, especially in Africa, but also East and South Asia,” said Mr. …

Menstrual Hygiene Day: Menstruation (Periods) is no more a hush-hush topic
5 years, 10 months ago

Menstrual Hygiene Day: Menstruation (Periods) is no more a hush-hush topic

India TV News  

Thanks to many films and documentaries like Akshay Kumar's PadMan, that menstruation is no longer a secret to the men of society. According to a survey conducted by Everteen for the Menstrual Hygiene Day, menstruation is no more a hush-hush topic. Menstrual Hygiene Day Here's what Gauri Singhal, Founder and CEO of FLOH tampons and Shelly Singh, Obstetrics and Gynaecology …

Average schoolgirl takes three days off each term due to period-related issues, study finds
5 years, 10 months ago

Average schoolgirl takes three days off each term due to period-related issues, study finds

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. A third believed it held them back from achieving their ambitions and goals and five per …

How women around the world manage their periods
5 years, 11 months ago

How women around the world manage their periods

The Independent  

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy From menstrual cup to cloth, menstruation skirt or homemade sanitary pad, …

Good news! UN report shows that India has made rapid progress in increasing access to sanitation in schools
6 years, 6 months ago

Good news! UN report shows that India has made rapid progress in increasing access to sanitation in schools

India Today  

India has made rapid progress in increasing access to sanitation in schools, the United Nations said in a report, noting that the proportion of schools without any sanitation facility has decreased at a fast pace in the country. The annual report is produced by the World Health Organization/UN Children's Fund Joint Monitoring Programme, or JMP, which has been monitoring global …

India made 'rapid progress' in increasing access to sanitation in schools, says joint UN and WHO report
6 years, 6 months ago

India made 'rapid progress' in increasing access to sanitation in schools, says joint UN and WHO report

Firstpost  

The report, titled ‘Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools: 2018 Global Baseline Report,’ says that good hygiene facilities in schools provide the basis of a healthy learning environment and that girls are more likely to attend when they are on their period. A new joint UN agency study, ‘Drinking Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools: 2018 Global Baseline Report,’ …

India made rapid progress in increasing access to sanitation in schools: UN report
6 years, 6 months ago

India made rapid progress in increasing access to sanitation in schools: UN report

India TV News  

India has made rapid progress in increasing access to sanitation in schools, the United Nations said in a report, noting that the proportion of schools without any sanitation facility has decreased at a fast pace in the country. The annual report is produced by the World Health Organization/UN Children’s Fund Joint Monitoring Programme, or JMP, which has been monitoring global …

Pad Man: How Bollywood is challenging period stigma in India
6 years, 8 months ago

Pad Man: How Bollywood is challenging period stigma in India

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Discover Related