Centre told to frame policy for menstrual hygiene in schools

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre told to frame policy for menstrual hygiene in schools” published in The Hindu on 11th April 2023

What is the News?

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) and formulate a national model to be adopted by all the states and Union territories for managing menstrual hygiene for school-going girls. 

Why is there inadequate Menstrual Hygiene?

Inadequate menstrual hygiene management is partly a manifestation of cultural myths and discriminatory traditions which consider this natural phenomenon a taboo. 

Many girls and women continue to be socially ostracized during their periods; their mobility is restricted, and they are considered impure.

The main reasons for this taboo still being relevant in Indian society are the high rate of illiteracy especially in girls, poverty and lack of awareness about menstrual health and hygiene.

According to the recently released fifth round of the National Family Health Survey (2019-21), the use of unhygienic menstrual methods of protection among women (age 15-24 years) is almost three times that of their urban counterparts. 

– Women in the same age group with no schooling are almost six times more likely to use an unhygienic method. And those from the poorest wealth quintile are ten times more likely to use an unhygienic method.

What are the impacts of Inadequate Menstrual Hygiene?

Impact on Health: The unsanitary use of menstrual products increases the susceptibility of young girls and women to fungal, urinary, and reproductive-tract infections, impacting their overall health and well-being. 

Impact on education: Around 23 million girls in India drop out of school every year due to a lack of menstrual hygiene management (MHM) facilities which include access to sanitary napkins, awareness of menstruation and access to clean toilets with running water and disposal facilities.

What are the steps that should be taken to promote menstrual hygiene?

Building clean toilets with uninterrupted water supply in rural schools.

Ensuring availability and accessibility of sanitary napkins.

Imposing mandatory menstrual health classes for both boys and girls can create an enabling environment for girls and prevent them from potentially dropping out of school.

Movies creating social awareness about such social issues can play an instrumental role in bringing behavioural change in society. The film Pad Man played a pivotal role in spurring conversations around periods and positioning sanitary pads as the saviour.

The government must promote small-scale sanitary pad manufacturing units to make low-cost pads more easily available, it will also help in generating income for women.