JAIPUR: A lot must be done to make adolescent girls aware of menstrual hygiene, that too at a time when it is still a taboo subject in some sections of the society. Menstrual Hygiene Day which was celebrated on Monday (May 28) witnessed various NGOs and organizations in the city taking a step towards social awareness of hygiene and sanitation facilities in and around the city slums for adolescent girls.
The subject of menstrual hygiene is still considered a taboo subject in the society and thereby limits the proper knowledge from reaching the girls, especially in the slums. Poonam Kulshreshtha, Rajasthan project head from
Centre for Advocacy and Research
(
CFAR
) shared, "We have girls between the age group of 10 an 18 from the slums of
Jawahar Nagar
and
Jhalana
attending workshops on proper use of sanitary napkins and at how much time intervals should they be changed. We have also initiated new technique and taught them how to stitch and reuse the cotton cloth handmade sanitary napkins." These girls have also sold these which generates income for their households.
Rural girls often dispose of the used napkins in open areas and the waste is not cleared for many days, degrading the levels of environment. "We want to make girls aware even of these environmental issues, therefore we have promoted the use of cloth napkins which are low-priced, reusable and environmental-friendly," said
Paridhi
, a sanitation project developer at CFAR. These new cotton napkins are just for Rs 35 or 70 which are reusable for 70 washes or 1 year.
Nisha
Rajora
(19) from Jhalana slum said, "We are often told to stay away from temples, kitchens, pickles and we are made to sleep on a different bed which should be stopped. Rather girls should be made aware about basics of hygiene during menstruation."
The workshops in the city have allowed girls to open up and share their taboos as well as develop acceptance about certain changes.
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