DELHI (India CSR): Spark Minda Foundation (SMF), the CSR wing of Spark Minda Group, India Vision Foundation, BharatCares (the social impact arm of CSRBOX Group) and ASSOCHAM jointly launched a campaign on Menstrual Hygiene Management for the women inmates of Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Management Day.
In the pursuit of promoting the health and well-being of women, it is imperative to address a crucial yet often overlooked aspect – menstrual hygiene. Every menstruating individual, regardless of their circumstances, has the right to prioritize their health. SMF, under its Shakti Initiative, is committed to shedding light on this issue and empowering incarcerated individuals through menstrual hygiene awareness campaigns.
Project Shakti is dedicated to spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene in Indian prisons. Project Shakti firmly believes that health is a fundamental right for every menstruating individual, regardless of their incarceration status. By focusing on menstrual hygiene, the Project Shakti strives to break the silence surrounding this critical aspect of their health.
Project Shakti has impacted more than 3000 women in the prisons of Haryana, Uttarakhand & Delhi. Now, for the next three years, SMF, along with its partners, will cover 71 prisons in Uttar Pradesh, reaching over 5000 women inmates through this menstrual hygiene management project.
Project Shakti works in collaboration with its key partners such as, India Vision Foundation who oversees implementation and monitors impact, BharatCares provides technical expertise for educational materials and workshops, prison authorities facilitate access and logistics and ASSOCHAM advocates and engages the industry. Together, they create a comprehensive approach to empower the incarcerated individuals.
To achieve this mission, SMF collaborated with the above mentioned partners. Informational booklets are distributed and interactive sessions are organized to encourage open discussions about menstrual health, breaking the stigma associated with it.
A key aspect of this initiative is to ensure consistent and adequate access to sanitary products. Therefore, SMF has installed 25+ sanitary napkin vending machines in the prisons of Haryana, Uttarakhand and Tihar and with this campaign, it is planned to be installed in another 71 prisons of UP in the next 3 years. Beyond awareness, the aim is to influence positive changes in healthcare and hygiene provisions for incarcerated women and also provide with the availability and access to sanitary napkins as a right to the inmates. This ensures implementation of sustainable solutions to address the challenges faced by incarcerated women in obtaining menstrual products.
Dr. Kiran Bedi, Founder, India Vision Foundation, said:
“Menstrual Hygiene Management should be the right of every woman in India.” Ms. Sarika Minda, Chairperson Spark Minda Foundation, quoted:
“Aligned with our mission to facilitate basic healthcare services for survival, this campaign envisions reaching all women inmates in India’s prisons.”
Mr. Bhomik Shah, Founder & CEO, CSRBOX Group, said:
“We are happy to extend technical support as the knowledge partner to this programme on Menstrual Hygiene Management in the state of Uttar Pradesh.”
Deepak Sood, Secretary General, ASSOCHAM, said:
“ASSOCHAM is delighted to partner in the campaign on Menstrual Hygiene Management in the state of UP as the networking partner.”
Jai Kishan Chhillar, Former Superintendent of Prison, Haryana, quoted:
“I am happy to have collaborated with Spark Minda Foundation and India Vision Foundation for Project Shakti in the prisons of Haryana. The supply of sanitary napkins through vending machines has significantly improved menstrual health management within the prisons.”
