Every year, May 28 is observed as World Menstrual Hygiene Day to bring awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene. The first ever was observed by a German-based NGO called ‘WASH United’ in 2014.
The theme for the past two years has been ‘making menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030’. It aims at living in a world where no one is stopped from doing anything just because they are menstruating.
As per a report by the National Family Health Survey, 64.4 per cent of Indian women in the age group of 15-24 use sanitary napkins, 49.6 per cent use cloth, 15 per cent use locally prepared napkins and 0.3 per cent use menstrual cups. The report also says that in spite of all the awareness about menstrual health, only 77.6 per cent of women in India use a hygienic form of menstrual protection.
Steps are being taken across the country to build awareness. In Ladakh, the Government Model Degree College in Zanskar oriented students about menstrual hygiene and educated them about serious health problems posed by the usage of unscientific and unhygienic materials during their periods. The college has also installed a Sanitary Vending Machine and an Incinerator in the girls’ restroom.
Students from Delhi University work throughout the year to create awareness on menstrual health through fests, seminars, sanitary napkin distribution drives and other such educative activities. The students also make effective use of social media to reach out to the masses – from talking about menstrual health and sustainable hygiene products to the disposal of them. The aim is to make the women feel motivated to improve their menstrual health and adopt the eco-friendly model.