PATNA: Women Development Corporation (WDC) managing director (MD) N Vijayalakshmi on Tuesday urged people to bust the myth that menstruating women were impure.
Addressing a state-level conference organized by the WDC and the United Nations Children’s Fund on the occasion of Menstrual Hygiene Day, Vijayalakshmi said, “This is not just an issue related to women, but involves the society. Men should also play a role in creating awareness about menstruation.”
The WDC MD also talked about the ‘Mukhyamantri Kishori Swasthya Karyakram’ under which schoolgirls from classes VII to XII in government-run middle and high schools of the state are provided free sanitary napkins.
UNICEF health specialist Dr Hubbe Ali said menstrual hygiene was a crucial right of every girl.
The audience took part in a ‘red dot’ challenge in which they painted red dots on their palms to support menstrual hygiene.
Govt initiative: The ‘Sanitary Pad Bank’ initiative of the Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC) and the UNICEF has helped approximately 37,000 adolescents in rural areas meet their needs during mensuration.
UNICEF (Bihar) communication specialist Nipurn Gupta told this newspaper, “Boxes with sanitary pads have been kept in girls’ toilets of 103 government schools. Teachers and visitors voluntarily donate Rs 5 every month for the purpose.”
As part of the Menstrual Hygiene Management Programme of the BEPC, training has been imparted to teachers of government secondary schools in 25 districts. “They make sure that there are separate toilets for girls and dustbins for disposal of pads. They also ensure that girls purchase pads with the money (Rs 300 per year) they get for the purpose.”