Aditi Panda
With the Bollywood Flick ‘Padman’ ready for release, the open conversation on the taboo topic of menstruation and use of sanitary napkins has increased. The concern always existed but the uncertainty to speak frankly was all the time there in our traditional society.
Menstrual hygiene and sanitation practice is an inherent part of every adolescent girl since it’s her journey from a child to a young woman. There is a lifelong inference of the practices followed at this age on the approaching reproductive phase of a girl’s life.
School and teachers play a major role to create correct awareness among the adolescents by counselling them regularly. The ambit of knowledge, most importantly on personal hygiene is still a forbidden subject to discuss in our way of life, especially in the rural community.
Talking about Odisha, 72% of the schools have separate toilet for girls in the rural areas and 35.8% of the girls used toilet during the menstrual cycle. The rest go back home or change in the nearby fields outside the school premises. More than 50% of the girls have confirmed the problem of stain on school uniform because of low privacy and dirty toilets in school.
“It’s important that the aaganwadi workers and Asha didi’s visit school and talk to the girls about the cleanliness needed and the other adverse effects if proper care is not taken during those 5 days. Information should also be given to the mothers. Basically after the girl attains puberty the parents stop school and marry her because of societal pressure. This is indirectly increasing the trend of child marriage” says Savitri Behera, a government school teacher.
It’s high time the government starts providing free sanitary napkins to these girls or a system should de designed through which the girls can buy them at a low price. The male members of the family and the male teachers should also be taken into the loop.
“The National Family Health Survey – 4 revealed that in Odisha, only 26.7 % of women complete 10 or more years of schooling. This rate is even very high in the southern and western districts. This is making our girls more vulnerable to child marriage. When a girl attends her puberty and is out of school as well as any other engagement like skill building, training etc the only option left to the parents is fixing marriage and this factor makes it difficult to curb the practice of child marriage even today”, shares Ghasiram Panda working with Action Aid and combating child marriage is one of their several mandates.
Social restrictions imposed by the family on the girls after the menarche need to be restrained since they are already coping with different changes mentally and physically. This will surely help to decrease school dropouts in the long run.
So much public outrage is made on movie releases and scams but very less attention is given by the government and public towards this burning issue.
Yes.it should be.we have to aware of it.the key role should be taken by mothers.they have to discuss about the situation which the girl should face in their pre teens.they have to explain what are the major precautions which should be taken in their periods
Thank you very much for your valuable comments.the mothers have to indeed come forward and help their daughters to deal with this sensitive issue
What was spoken in hushed whispers behind the closed doors is now out in the open…and what better way than a movie,to do this…
Yes,the best person to explain this physical change taking place in the girl’s body,is the Mother ..n then of course the school teachers,the curriculum,etc…
Even the correct way of disposal of the pads should be taught to the girls,be they from rural or urban areas..
Its very important to teach the hygienic way of disposal and this factor is even more neglected.
Good one. It’s a very good n valid point that the male members of the family and of school too have to be taken into confidence and have to be ‘educated’ in this matter.
Hope your ngo helps the families/girls of the western n southern districts to get sensitized about the child marriage issue as well as that of the importance of the education.
From Prasad Barve,Pune,on whats up
India will regain its erstwhile glory only when the feminine gender is given the respect and glory it deserves. Our country is still predominantly patriarchal and this only diminishes the important role that a mother, sister, daughter or wife plays in a family. It’s all about the man of the house or the son. Everything centers around the male at the cost of neglecting the needs of the female. This imbalance is highly unnatural and is the prime cause for all the friction that is rife in our society. Desiring a male progeny is still rampant in our supposedly educated society, let alone in the less literate rural hinterland. No wonder the health of the girl child is grossly neglected and their nourishment restricted to a bare minimum. Unfortunately, the sole objective of the parents is to get their daughter married and give birth to a son!!! This neanderthal attitude is debilitating the basic fabric of our society. Something as basic as sanitary pads and sanitary hygiene is being brushed under the carpet, for decades. Ridiculous. Come on people of India, wake up. Menstruation is an important part of the procreation process without which all those moronic men would not have seen the light of the day. Looks like we as a nation are caught in a time warp. Until recently women have had to defecate in the open. This can happen Only in India. For drastic changes to happen parents should treat a girl or a boy child EQUALLY. The rest will follow automatically. If you love someone you will go out of your way to take care of that person. So, love the girl child, more than you love your son.
Right.bangon.reality put forth in a very subtle way.thanks for commenting