Menstruation is a natural and biological phenomenon common to all primates. Yet, in the Indian context, the societal or familial acceptance and perception of the menstrual cycle can often be very negative. This negative mind-set continues to feed into the many complex challenges that impact adolescent girls and women and their overall Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) practices.
Lack of awareness makes for a major problem in India’s menstrual hygiene scenario. 71% girls report having no knowledge of menstruation before their first period.[1] Girls often turn to their mothers for support and information, but very often, the mothers themselves have unhealthy and negative perceptions about menstruation, some believing it to be ‘dirty’ and further perpetuating myths, taboos and the culture of shame and silence.[2]
Lack of hygienic practices and access to high quality sanitary products is a crucial challenge as well. 81% women in rural India still use unsterilized cloths and are unaware of proper unhygienic products. 70% of women in India cannot afford a sanitary napkin.[3]
Despite national efforts to improve sanitation, women and girls lack appropriate sanitary facilities and community support to manage their menstrual cycle in a healthy and dignified manner. As many as 63 million adolescent girls live in homes without toilet facilities. 30 million school children in India have no access to toilets.[4]
Unhygienic practices often lead to a negative impact on health. Incidence of Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) is 70% more common amongst women who use unhygienic materials during menstruation.[5]
Addressing the above challenges would require a multi-pronged approach examining the entire eco-system and involving all key stakeholders. Increasing awareness and education to break out of the cycle of ignorance and taboos is a must, as is providing access to proper sanitation facilities and ensuring hygienic practices during the menstrual cycle, including access to safe, low-cost and high-quality sanitary products.
Also, the issue of menstrual waste management is quite complex. According to a 2008 report by the Indian Textile Journal, the estimated sanitary waste of all Indian women would be 58,500 million pads and another report by the Tamil Nadu government tells us that a single use disposable pad is estimated to take between 500 – 800 years to decompose. Thus, ensuring environmentally safe and biodegradable products are a must as we address the issues of accessibility and affordability.
There have been many positive steps in the right direction including the Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram aimed at improving the health and hygiene of an estimated 243 million adolescents. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has also taken positive steps and integrated MHM into its schemes.
India Inc. has spent 7536 crores on Health and Education as part of its corporate social responsibility funds, as per a 2018 report by KPMG. There exist several commendable programs to better MHM practices in India. This conference aims to further understand the issue of Menstrual Health Management, identify the most effective and efficient ways in which corporate social responsibility efforts could be utilized towards improving Menstrual Health and pinpoint the best ways for all stakeholders to collaborate and deliver results.
Dr. Huz, Founder and CEO, Wockhardt Foundation, CSR Advisors said, “Issues of Menstrual Health Management impact millions of girls across the country. There are myths and taboos that cause a lot of pain and anguish. Girls drop-out of schools and the work-force and this also negatively affects the country’s economy. We must increase awareness and education to break out of the cycle of ignorance and taboos, provide access to proper sanitation facilities and ensure hygienic practices during the menstrual cycle, including access to safe, low-cost and high-quality sanitary products.”
Asmita Satyarthi, Director, CSR Advisors said “CSR Advisors is committed to creating collaborative partnerships for social change. This conference is the first step to bring various stakeholders together on one platform to discuss this very important issue. Corporates must take a lead in creating a culture of together-ness and collaboration. Menstrual Health affects us all. It isn’t just a female issue, it is an every person issue.”
Ananya Awasthi, Deputy Director, Harvard Chen India Center said, “The Center is committed to improve health in India and around the world through research, training and knowledge dissemination. We welcome the efforts of CSR in India towards positively impacting public health, including Menstrual Health Management which is a very important issue.”
[1] International Burn Injury Database
[2] A.C. Nielsen and Plan India (2010). Sanitation protection: Every Women’s Health Right
[3] A.C. Nielsen and Plan India (2010). Sanitation protection: Every Women’s Health Right
[4]UNICEF (2012) Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) program
[5] A.C. Nielsen and Plan India (2010). Sanitation protection: Every Women’s Health Right
