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 navigate their menstrual cycle One academic says more education is needed to reduce the taboo of menstruation in outback Australia Compounded by overcrowding, access to affordable sanitary products and functioning bathrooms can make dealing with menstruation challenging. Empowering young women Jude Pritchard of the Central Australian Menstrual Hygiene Management Project holds workshops with women in Central Australia and said women were "really hungry for this knowledge". "Where the sticker is displayed, it's a girl-friendly site with free products for women," Ms Pritchard said. "If you can't manage your menstruation through having the right products, knowing what's happening to your body, having waste facilities, then you actually can't access your education or there are limits," she said.

Women Girls Central Items Young Women Sanitary Menstrual Pritchard Menstruation Ms Pritchard Dr Hall Central Australia Emma Haskin Central Australian Sanitary Items Hygiene Products Nina Hall Isolated Australian  sanitary  menstrual  items  hygiene  products  challenges  shame  women  menstruation  fighting  pritchard  communities  isolated  australian  girls  central

History of this topic

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

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 …

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 …

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 …

Menstrual Hygiene | Supreme Court Directs Union Government To Frame National Policy On Free Sanitary Napkins & Safe Disposal Mechanisms In Schools
1 year, 11 months ago

Menstrual Hygiene | Supreme Court Directs Union Government To Frame National Policy On Free Sanitary Napkins & Safe Disposal Mechanisms In Schools

Live Law  

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the central government to frame a National Policy on menstrual hygiene for school-going girls in the country. The bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice JB Pardiwala stated that the said policy must ensure low cost sanitary napkins and safe disposal mechanisms of sanitary napkins in schools. All states and UTs …

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 …

With stained pants, Kenyan senator fights menstruation taboo
2 years ago

With stained pants, Kenyan senator fights menstruation taboo

Associated Press  

NAIROBI, Kenya — The sight of a red bloodstain on Kenyan Senator Gloria Orwoba’s white pantsuit was so startling that a female security guard rushed over to hide it. Yet our girls are suffering.” Whether or not Orwoba’s menstrual stain was an accident or a stunt, the controversy it has elicited shows the considerable stigma that surrounds women’s periods in …

Hopes free period products in Sydney's inner west will help end stigma around menstruation
2 years, 3 months ago

Hopes free period products in Sydney's inner west will help end stigma around menstruation

ABC  

Free period products will now be available at pools and other locations throughout Sydney's inner west, in what the local council says is a state first. Key points: Facilities including libraries and aquatic centres will have the machines Deputy Mayor Philippa Scott has called on other councils to follow suit Several state governments have recently made period products accessible in …

'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, 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, …

Over a quarter of Amsterdam women can't afford period products
2 years, 5 months ago

Over a quarter of Amsterdam women can't afford period products

NL Times  

Over a quarter of Amsterdam women couldn’t afford menstruation products like tampons or pads at least once during the past year, sometimes forcing them to stay home from school or work. And the problem is growing, the non-profit organization Neighborhood Feminists and research agency Opinium found in the first-ever study of menstruation poverty in Amsterdam, Het Parool reports. While menstruation …

Scotland becomes the first country to offer tampons and pads for free, officials say
2 years, 7 months ago

Scotland becomes the first country to offer tampons and pads for free, officials say

NPR  

Scotland becomes the first country to offer tampons and pads for free, officials say Enlarge this image toggle caption Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images Period products, including tampons and sanitary pads, are now free of cost in Scotland to anyone who needs them. Scotland is the first country to offer period products free of charge on a …

32% of girls ‘cannot access period products at school’ despite Government schemes
2 years, 8 months ago

32% of girls ‘cannot access period products at school’ despite Government schemes

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Almost a third of girls and young women in the …

Sustainable menstruation tips: Initiatives every menstruator should take towards saving the environment
2 years, 9 months ago

Sustainable menstruation tips: Initiatives every menstruator should take towards saving the environment

Hindustan Times  

Using sustainable and environment-friendly products is the need of the hour to protect and restore nature and its resources and while menstruation is a testing time for menstruators with all cramps, headaches and mood swings, it is also a testing time for our planet. Sustainable menstruation tips: Initiatives every menstruator should take towards saving the environment In an interview with …

ACT government could soon be required to provide free period products in public places
3 years, 3 months ago

ACT government could soon be required to provide free period products in public places

ABC  

Sanitary products would be accessible across the national capital to anyone who needs them under a new proposal to stamp out period poverty in the ACT. "Period poverty" refers to period products becoming unaffordable to some people — with some forced to experience their monthly cycle without sanitary products, improvising by using toilet paper, cloth or newspaper. The Period Products …

Period poverty stops some people from being able to leave the house. A new program is offering a solution
3 years, 7 months ago

Period poverty stops some people from being able to leave the house. A new program is offering a solution

ABC  

When Tara Witts was a high school student, there were times her period kept her at home. Key points: Period poverty is a lack of access to sanitary products, education about menstrual health, toilets and handwashing facilities Women report the cost of sanitary items can mean they are unable to leave their homes during their periods A new project in …

Students can grab free menstrual products at Amsterdam University VU
3 years, 7 months ago

Students can grab free menstrual products at Amsterdam University VU

NL Times  

Students from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam built a “menstrual cabinet” where students can take tampons and sanitary pads for free, AT5 reported. “People believe that affording period products is not a problem for students”, Nicole Römer from Neighborhood Feminists told AT5. “I think it’s a really good that students from the VU came up with this idea.” “Menstruating, you …

UK, Irish Supermarkets are Helping to Fight Rising 'Period Poverty' With Free Tampons and Pads
3 years, 11 months ago

UK, Irish Supermarkets are Helping to Fight Rising 'Period Poverty' With Free Tampons and Pads

News 18  

Two supermarket chains in Ireland and Britain are offering free sanitary pads and tampons in a drive to tackle “period poverty”, which charities say has soared during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Ireland, discount store Lidl said it would become the world’s first major retailer to offer free pads and tampons in branches nationwide to women and girls struggling to afford …

Tasmanian schools to provide free pads and tampons for students
4 years ago

Tasmanian schools to provide free pads and tampons for students

ABC  

It's every teenage girl's worst nightmare — getting their period at school and not having any sanitary items. Key points: Period products will be free for girls in Tasmanian state schools from term three this year A 14-year-old girl in northern Tasmania prompted the change after she sent a letter to Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff A school in the state's …

This supermarket is doing a ‘buy one give one’ on sanitary products to help tackle period poverty
4 years ago

This supermarket is doing a ‘buy one give one’ on sanitary products to help tackle period poverty

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. Morrisons' new scheme will address this health poverty issue head-on, the retailer will donate one sanitary …

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 …

Period Poverty: Many schools still 'not aware' they can order free tampons and pads for pupils, charity says
4 years, 7 months ago

Period Poverty: Many schools still 'not aware' they can order free tampons and pads for pupils, charity says

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. Read our privacy policy Many schools and colleges are still unaware that they can access free …

Tampon and pad shortages in lockdown means now is the time for sustainable period products
4 years, 8 months ago

Tampon and pad shortages in lockdown means now is the time for sustainable period products

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. I found that their knowledge about other available options to manage periods is severely lacking, and …

COVID Lockdown: Girls From Rural Areas Struggle for Sanitary Pads
4 years, 11 months ago

COVID Lockdown: Girls From Rural Areas Struggle for Sanitary Pads

The Quint  

Kumari, who studies at a government school in Haryana’s Kurkshetra, said, “The entire focus has been shifted to distribution of masks and sanitisers and nobody is talking about these basics. Geeta, a Class 7 student from Alwar in Rajasthan, said, “Even if we get the money to buy it, it is so difficult to step out for women, especially during …

Anti-stealing warnings in front of tampons get backlash from women’s groups
5 years, 1 month ago

Anti-stealing warnings in front of tampons get backlash from women’s groups

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “In the meantime, shops like Tesco should take a long hard look at themselves …

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 …

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, …

Attitudes about menstruation are changing. So why are they so taboo at work?
6 years ago

Attitudes about menstruation are changing. So why are they so taboo at work?

CNN  

Executive Brief The public conversation about menstruation seems to be opening up, but many American workplaces still lack the supplies needed by female employees once a month. “It’s becoming just part of what can be discussed and what can and should be part of regular conversation,” says Sharra Vostral, associate professor of history at Purdue University and author of “Under …

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 …

It's taken Labour almost two decades to say the 'P word'
7 years, 6 months ago

It's taken Labour almost two decades to say the 'P word'

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. However, I’ve been spending a lot …

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 …

CWA members hope washable sanitary pads will give isolated women freedom to learn
7 years, 8 months ago

CWA members hope washable sanitary pads will give isolated women freedom to learn

ABC  

A Queensland women's group is sewing reusable, fabric sanitary pads to send to remote Indigenous communities, in the wake of a report revealing some girls felt forced to skip school during their period. Joanne Hubner, from the Queensland Country Women's Association Coomera branch, is sewing pads in colourful fabrics that can be washed each day and can last up to …

Indigenous girls skipping school, stealing during menstruation due to cost, embarrassment
7 years, 8 months ago

Indigenous girls skipping school, stealing during menstruation due to cost, embarrassment

ABC  

Girls in remote Indigenous communities are stealing sanitary pads and skipping school for several days during their periods, a Queensland report finds. Key points: UQ research team set out to evaluate water quality, feminine hygiene issues unexpected Some schools had no sanitary bins, others had clogged toilets or lacked soap Researchers found menstruating was still a source of shame for …

Sanitary vending machines aim to restore dignity to homeless women around Australia
7 years, 9 months ago

Sanitary vending machines aim to restore dignity to homeless women around Australia

ABC  

Dealing with your monthly period when you have no money is just one of the harsh realities of life for homeless women. But charity organisation Share the Dignity is hoping to help women who cannot afford sanitary products by installing vending machines in cities around Australia that dispense free tampons and pads to those in need. Homeless women 'extremely resourceful' …

Girls from low-income families skipping school during periods because they can't afford sanitary products
8 years ago

Girls from low-income families skipping school during periods because they can't afford sanitary products

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 funding appeal has been launched for UK-wide research into the issue after a police officer …

Gift Box tampon subscription service helps homeless women manage periods
8 years, 1 month ago

Gift Box tampon subscription service helps homeless women manage periods

ABC  

Old socks, clothes, newspaper and even dead leaves are some of the substitutes many of Australia's 49,000 homeless women use to manage their period each month. Giving these women access to free tampons was the motivation behind Gift Box, a new social enterprise launched in Melbourne by ex-Neighbours star Saskia Hampele this month. "I thought it was crazy that the …

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 …

To break menstruation taboo, this 22-year-old girl is setting up sanitary pads dispensers in Mumbai schools
8 years, 9 months ago

To break menstruation taboo, this 22-year-old girl is setting up sanitary pads dispensers in Mumbai schools

India TV News  

Mumbai: Every teenage girl in India has gone through the embarrassment of hiding sanitary pads in black polythene or a thick paper bag at least once in her life. Deane de Menezes The young girl has started a unique project by the name Red is the New Green which aims at spreading hygienic practices at the time of menstruation. Mumbai …

We need to abolish the tampon tax and tackle the period taboo - even if it only saves women £2 a year
9 years, 5 months ago

We need to abolish the tampon tax and tackle the period taboo - even if it only saves women £2 a year

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In an age where we can …

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, …

Fund crunch stalls sanitary napkins distribution scheme
11 years ago

Fund crunch stalls sanitary napkins distribution scheme

The Hindu  

A scheme of the Rajiv Vidya Mission to distribute sanitary pads to girl children in government schools so as to improve their menstrual hygiene is now defunct due to lack of funds. Introduced in 2012 as part of the National Programme for Education of Girls at Elementary Level, the scheme aimed at distributing packets of branded sanitary napkins to adolescent …

Hats off to the sanitary towel sellers
11 years, 5 months ago

Hats off to the sanitary towel sellers

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Having worked in PR once upon …

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