Ways to Support Young Girls’ Menstrual Hygiene Awareness

Millions of young girls in India miss school due to their periods, and as per a World Bank report, 500 million girls and women globally lack access to feminine hygiene products. This forces them to use unsafe alternatives, preventing participation in community activities and regular school attendance.

Several factors disrupt their schooling. Firstly, many girls don’t have enough sanitary napkins for the day. Secondly, government schools lack proper sanitary pad disposal areas. Thirdly, cultural taboos prevent girls from receiving the education they need about menstruation, making them ashamed to attend school during their periods.

In India, young girls are still often not allowed to enter places of worship or even their own kitchens while menstruating. Even in modern households, these practices persist. While I have not experienced this, I believe it’s crucial to help from our position. We can collaborate with organizations that educate and raise awareness, and provide or donate feminine hygiene products to young girls.

Facts on period poverty in India:

• 64% of India’s 355 million menstruating females don’t use sanitary towels.
• An estimated 70% of all reproductive health issues are caused by poor menstrual hygiene.
• 1 in 10 girls below 21 in India cannot afford sanitary products, using unhygienic substitutes instead.

Here are three major ways you can help:

1. Donate to Organizations
   • Milaap.org: They distribute sanitary napkins and raise awareness. “For every 35 Rupees donated, we purchase a packet of sanitary napkins with 8 pads, distributed to girls in government schools, slums, and orphanages.”
   • Asancup.in: Asan provides sanitary napkins and extensive menstrual health education in villages, also listing NGOs working on period poverty across India.
   • Pragti.org: Their women’s empowerment program provides sanitary napkins and health education to school girls and women in rural areas and slums.
   • Nanhiparifoundation.org: Sponsors hygiene kits containing brushes, soap, sanitary pads, and hand wash.
   • Mynamahila.com: Offers the “Sponsoring a Girl” program, providing sanitary napkins and promoting discussions about menstruation.
2. Help Those Around You
   • Provide feminine hygiene products to young girls you know, like your househelp’s children. During COVID-19 lockdowns, many didn’t have access to sanitary pads or basic cooking items, so we donated these monthly.
3. Volunteer
   • Volunteer or intern with organizations like Mynamahila.org, Pragtifoundationmumbai.org, Milaap.org, and Menstrupedia.com. Any contribution, small or big, will significantly help these young women.

Your efforts can have a substantial impact, no matter the size. Every action counts in supporting menstrual hygiene awareness and education.

Re-reported from the article originally published in ELLE.