Rashim Deepika
Most of the girls start to menstruate between 10 to 15 years of age. The average age is 12 years but every girl has its own schedule. Usually periods start one or two years after growth of pubic hair. Sharing information about periods and advice is the best way to understand about periods. It becomes necessary that we educate our young generation, both boys and girls about it. Girls need not to carry the burden of monthly periods. It is the pride of every girl.
Menstrual circle has put women and adolescent girls under socio-cultural restrictions. Limited access to safe sanitary products and facilities is believed, to be the one of the constraints in school attendance.
In previous times, girls during monthly periods had to live a painful life. There were myths; she should not take shower on during these days. There is no logic between shower and periods. During those days mostly people took bath in rivers, ponds. To avoid water to get polluted with this monthly bleeding, they were not allowed to take bath. During periods, to avoid urinary infections also, girls were prohibited to take bath in open places. As hygiene level maintenance was low, they were not allowed to be associated in kitchen or religious work.
Now scenario has changed, now a days in most of the Indian houses there is toilet facility, girls take shower daily during periods also, proper hygiene levels are maintained. Use of sanitary napkins has resulted in hygienic and comfortable periods to girls. We are living in an educated global world, where boys as well as girls need to be sensitized with these social behaviours.
A girl should not feel helpless, as she has to go through this cycle. Our male generation needs to be properly educated, so that this cycle should be taken as normal thing in a society.
During starting days of periods, girls get panicky, they have to go through a biological change which is not so easy for them to share with everyone. On contrary to this, if boys are more sensitized, it will give a great push to girls to behave comfortable in these days also and definitely their comfortably level will be lowered.
Govt. has launched schemes for promotion of menstrual hygiene. The scheme as part of Adolescent –Reproductive & Sexual Health. Self Help Groups are supplying sanitary napkins “freedays” in certain districts @ Rs. 7.50/- per pack of six sanitary napkins which are centrally procured.
A very good initiative taken under Swachh Bharat Mission. The University grant commission has issued a circular for installation of eco friendly sanitary napkin vending machines at all women’s hostels in universities across the nation. Our State Government needs to broaden the concept at grass root level. From the level of middle school to universities, these machines should be installed.
Surprisingly Government has kept 12% GST Tax on sanitary napkins and exemption on Sindoor, bangles, bindis. The priorities of government. seems to be misplaced and that is why government thinks Sindoor, bangles and bindis are more important than Sanitary napkins or it is not considered as an essential product.
Disposal of Sanitary napkins is also a matter of concern. As a part of Swatch Bharat mission its disposal need to be done in environmental friendly manner.
Most of currently available napkins are made out of plastic, the burning of these non biodegradable causes air pollution. Disposal of sanitary napkin should be considered as medical waste.
Installing incinerators in schools for disposal of these sanitary napkins. Use of Environmental friendly napkins.
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