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 dealing with menstrual hygiene in eight states/union territories. Urban India fares better, rural Madhya Pradesh the worst In the urban areas of 11 states or union territories, more than 90 percent of women used hygienic period protection, according to NFHS-4. Sanitary pads are too expensive, unavailable The Rutgers study revealed that for the absorption of the menstrual blood, 89 percent women used cloth, two percent used cotton wool, seven percent sanitary pads and two percent ash.

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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 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
1 year 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, 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 …

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 …

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 …

'Lack Of Proper Menstrual Hygiene Hinders Girls' Education' : Plea In Supreme Court For Free Distribution Of Sanitary Pads In Schools
2 years, 5 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, 5 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, …

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 …

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022: 5 common menstruation myths busted by expert
2 years, 10 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, 10 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 …

​70% Women in UP, Assam and Chhattisgarh Aged 15-24 Use Cloth for Menstrual Protection: Govt Data
2 years, 10 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 …

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

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 …

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 …

Menstrual Hygiene Day: Educate both girls, boys that menstruation not a matter of shame, says Smriti Irani
4 years, 10 months ago

Menstrual Hygiene Day: Educate both girls, boys that menstruation not a matter of shame, says Smriti Irani

India Today  

Thursday marks Menstrual Hygiene Day and the annual occasion reminds us how something so basic is still shrouded with taboo and shame and lack of hygiene facilities that still make thousands of girls -- around 23 percent -- drop out of school when they hit puberty. It Smriti Irani calls for educating both boys and girls about menstruation On this …

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 …

Fight to demystify menstruation is on in rural India, where the taboo continues to costs lives
5 years, 10 months ago

Fight to demystify menstruation is on in rural India, where the taboo continues to costs lives

Firstpost  

While people in urban cities are more open to talking about it, the veil is still very much present in rural India. The idea of menstruation is still a source of shame and embarrassment for many women in India. The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare launched a programme called the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram on in January 2014 to …

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 …

Menstrual Hygiene Day 2019: 5 Hygiene Tips Every Woman Should Know
5 years, 10 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 …

The notion of purity
6 years, 4 months ago

The notion of purity

The Hindu  

The focus on female bodily functions has never been more critical or as intense than it is now. In her essay, ‘Is Female to Male as Nature is to Culture’, American anthropologist Sherry B. Ortner argues that a woman’s secondary status to man stems from the fact that the female physiology with its procreative functions is seen as closer to …

International Menstrual Hygiene Day: To progress, India must end culture of shame and silence, writes Shabana Azmi
6 years, 10 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, 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 …

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 …

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 …

Nearly half of American women have been 'period SHAMED'
7 years, 2 months ago

Nearly half of American women have been 'period SHAMED'

Daily Mail  

Menstruation is one of the most natural functions in the world. A new poll of 1,500 women and 500 men from across the country has found that 58 per cent of women have felt a sense of embarrassment simply because they were on their period. Hard to handle: A new poll of 1,500 women and 500 men from across the …

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 …

Menstruation is having its pop-culture moment thanks to movies and books, but can India move past celebrating it?
7 years, 9 months ago

Menstruation is having its pop-culture moment thanks to movies and books, but can India move past celebrating it?

Firstpost  

Last year, students at Calicut Medical College launched a contest to encourage each other to submit haikus about periods, after an intern threw out an open challenge to see if anyone would dare to walk around with an unwrapped packet of sanitary pads. Meanwhile, singer Sofia Ashraf’s new Tamil song ‘Period Paatu’, which released last month went mega viral. By …

Taboo no more. Period!
7 years, 10 months ago

Taboo no more. Period!

Deccan Chronicle  

‘Don’t go into the kitchen’ or ‘don’t touch the prasad’ are things that menstruating women have to often hear from their elders. To mark International Menstrual Hygiene Day on Sunday, India Bull Riders is organising a bike rally as part of Breaking the Silence Campaign whose theme is ‘Men take lead’, to end the stigma associated with periods. Shreya Krishnan, …

Pre-Menstrual Syndrome remains taboo among Chennaiites
8 years, 7 months ago

Pre-Menstrual Syndrome remains taboo among Chennaiites

Deccan Chronicle  

Chennai: Although Chinese swimming sensation Fu Yuanhui has been applauded for breaking the taboo discussing menstruation, city doctors say menstruation and its related problems are still a taboo among city dwellers. PMS, an often neglected medical condition affects women’s emotions, physical health and it causes behavioral changes during certain days of the menstrual cycle, generally just before menses. “Although it …

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 …

VIDEO: After watching this you will never feel ashamed of being a 'Girl on periods'
10 years, 4 months ago

VIDEO: After watching this you will never feel ashamed of being a 'Girl on periods'

India TV News  

Do you feel embarrassed when you buy sanitary napkins? Getting barred from worshipping, visiting temples, involving in festivities, not using others bed or sofa, not eating pickle etc are a common phenomenon for girls living in rural as well as urban areas. Moreover, using sanitary napkins is also not acceptable in a wide section of Indian society due to the …

Why menstruation is a nightmare for many women in India
10 years, 10 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, …

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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