A group of women in Jharkhand are producing affordable sanitary napkins for low-cost communities. The government has introduced many policies and programmes to provide better menstruation hygiene resources to lead a productive, dignified, and healthy life.
Women in Jharkhand are breaking the barriers and enabling many underprivileged communities with affordable sanitary napkins. These sanitary napkins are not just providing better menstrual health to women in rural communities but also employment to hard-working and dedicated women.
Initiated by a mining company in Jharkhand, as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), 11 women were chosen in Chandwa, Chakla and trained at Zirhul Sanitary Napkin Plant to create a Self-help Group (SHG) and produce affordable sanitary napkins for local communities.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the number of women using hygienic protection methods for menstruation has increased from 58% to 78%. The study showed that 64% of women use sanitary napkins, 50% use cloth, and 15% use locally-made napkins.
Education also makes a huge difference as according to NFHS, women who’ve had 12 years of education are more likely to use menstrual hygiene products than the ones who did not. Stats also show that around 90% of urban women use menstrual products but only 73% use these products in rural locations.
Menstrual health is a significant matter as it affects many aspects of a person’s life like mobility, work participation, education, freedom, and dignity. Many initiatives and programmes have been launched in India to provide people who menstruate with safe menstruation hygiene products and spread awareness about their importance.
Many policies and programmes are active in India to promote and provide menstrual hygiene. Following are some programmes:
1. The Menstrual Hygiene Scheme was launched by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2011. It aimed to provide affordable sanitary napkins by ASHAs to low-income communities.
2. The Ministry of Jal Shakti included menstrual health in the Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014.
3. Also launched National Guidelines for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in 2015 with the Ministry of Education.
4. Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) under the Ministry of Health, included the distribution of sanitary napkins across the states and UTs and educating people especially adolescent children about menstrual and also aimed to provide and educate teenage students about menstruation and Sexual Reproductive Health.
5. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health together initiated The School Health and Wellness Programme to spread awareness and organise weekly sessions with trained teachers to teach and aware students.
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