Gender Equality India Project #32047

Menstrual Hygiene Kits for 1300 orphan girls,India

by Catalysts for Social Action

Project Report | May 2, 2019
There is a thing called Period SSSHHHHH!!!

By Kinjal Mehta | Assistant Manager Donor Relations & Communications

Let's end the hesitation around menstruation

Until 3-4 years ago, Shreya’s* life in rural Odisha was very normal. Living in one of the child care institutes (orphanages), she used to go to school with her roomies play games such as 'Dog & the Bone', 'Kabbadi' in her free time swinging from the roots of the banyan tree, help younger kids with their studies etc.

Shreya’s life changed within a few months after she turned 13 like most girls of her age she got her first period. The CCI supervisor there took her to one of the rooms, opened an old trunk full of clothes, removed her a large stack of old cotton saris and petticoats, bed sheets etc. For the next few hours, the Supervisor taught her how to fold the piece of cloth into a rectangular strip and use it. This was followed by a list of don’ts which included not entering the kitchen, temple etc.

Like Shreya, there are many girls in Child Care Institutions in rural or urban parts of India, who are unaware of menstrual hygiene and completely unknown to the existence of sanitary napkins.

CSA has been working on menstrual hygiene in 4 states of India. Menstruation and menstrual practices are still clouded by various taboos and social-cultural restrictions resulting in adolescent girls remaining ignorant of the scientific facts and hygienic health practices, which sometimes result into adverse health outcomes.

We have started reaching out to child care institutions in rural India by spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene
We have designed aawareness sessions using our approach of fun, games and positive communication, for the training of teachers/trainers as well as of adolescent girls
Around 1000+ girls are being educated and trained under this program
One of our key focus areas was to enhance the basic knowledge that girls and adolescent girls have around managing their periods safely by using the right kind of sanitary products & care (e.g. changing their pads every 6 hours, keeping the area dry and clean, not using expired products)

Apart from this, thrust is also laid on helping them realize that menstruation is a normal process and a sign of good health and one shouldn’t be ashamed about it and stay strong and fight through the social stigma like ninjas.

*Name changed to protect identity of child

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Feb 7, 2019
Menstrual Hygiene Awareness

By Wilma Correa | Donor Development & Communication - Senior Manager

Menstrual Hygiene Kit Distribution

Menstruation and menstrual practices are still clouded by various taboos and social-cultural restrictions resulting in adolescent girls remaining ignorant of the scientific facts and hygienic health practices, which sometimes result into adverse health outcomes.

Adolescent girls constitute a vulnerable group, particularly in India where the female child is often neglected. Menstruation is still regarded as something unclean or dirty in Indian society. The reaction to menstruation depends upon awareness and knowledge about the subject. Although menstruation is a natural process, it is linked with several misconceptions and practices.

With an objective to provide critical information & knowledge regarding menstrual hygiene and safe practices, we conduct several workshops & awareness sessions for adolescent girls residing at orphanages / child care institutions in some rural parts of India.

Recently, sanitary napkins were distributed to 140 girls from different child care institutions in locations Katni, Chindwara, Indore, Ujjain & Khandwa within the state of Madhya Pradesh.

We have also carried out various orientation and awareness sessions around menstrual hygiene on different topics such as -

1. Basic menstrual hygiene

2. Safe disposal of sanitary napkins

3. Dealing with menstrual cramps

4. Importance and use of sanitary napkins

5. Adolescent health program which covers important information on bodily changes and dealing with these

Our staff at other locations in different states of India are also running similar programs with girls at other child care institutions.

We see that girls are opening up, discussing their personal hygiene issues with doctors, making an effort to maintain personal hygiene which is helping them overcome hygiene related issues such as rashes, itches. Most importantly, girls are very happy to be able to use sanitary napkins as they step out to go to school with confidence!

Delighted and their Smiles say so!

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Nov 26, 2018
Adolescent Health Awareness for Girls

By Wilma Correa | Donor Development & Communication Manager

Empowered through AHP!

There are over 355 million menstruating women and girls in India, but millions of women across the country still face significant barriers to a comfortable and dignified experience with menstrual hygiene management.

Catalysts for Social Action conducts ongoing menstrual hygiene sessions with girls from orphanages in some remote districts around Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, Pune & Goa to explain the importance of hygiene, usage and disposal of sanitary napkins.

Special Adolescent Health Program (AHP) is also designed in very elaborative way so that this module of 10 sessions will educate girls about menstruation, menstrual hygiene, usage and disposal of sanitary napkins, puberty, reproductive system etc.

These girls have many questions to ask but in daily life they hesitate even to speak about it and it leads to many health & hygiene related issues. Questions like how to keep hygiene? When menstruation starts? And why it is important and what are the consequences if it is not handled properly. Adolescent Health Program addresses some of these questions & dilemmas. We conduct AHP sessions at various Child Care Institutes (CCIs) pan India from the age group of 13 years and above.

Menstrual hygiene awareness is also one of our critical approaches to understand the menstrual status of girls at the CCI’s by the doctors. After health check-up, doctors spend some time separately with adolescent girls and help girls understand menstrual issues and hygiene. We are also in the process of creating a period tracker for girls at CCIs so as to record their cycles & other observations. The same information can help the doctor during periodic checkups. Sanitary napkins are given by CCI to respective children and usually disposed in an environment friendly manner.

With an aim to strengthen facilitator capacity to deliver awareness training, improving the reach and quality of low-cost pads and ability to manage their menstruation, CSA is trying to create maximum awareness between these girls.Girls are very open these days and feel confident to deal with such issues.

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