Research has shown that low-cost sanitary pads don’t solve the myriad issues related to traditional menstrual practices and is more like band-aid on a deadly wound.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address on Independence Day this year touched on an important public health issue: menstruation. Modi said, “Through 6,000 Jan aushadhi kendras, about 5 crore women were provided sanitary pads at one rupee (each).” It’s a powerful statement from the prime minister addressing an issue for millions of people in the country, and which is a big positive step towards recognising menstruation as an important health, education and gender equality problem.
However, Modi’s few sentences during his 90-minute speech only glanced at a much larger issue.
In India, a significant proportion of girls and women have no access to basic sanitary products and use ash, banana leaves, husk, sand and/or unsanitised cloth for menstrual hygiene. Among young women aged 15-24 years, 62% use cloth for menstrual protection. In Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, approximately 81% of women still use cloth during menstruation. Only 48% from rural areas and 78% from urban areas use sanitary pads. Others resort to unhygienic menstrual management methods. The use of such methods for a long time can lead to serious health consequences, so governments push girls and women to use sanitary napkins, a more hygienic alternative.