A talk for awareness on Menstruation and Menstrual Hygiene by an NGO

We live in a country where we worship goddesses but discriminate against women!

At the heart of human rights is gender equality. To mark Human Rights Day, on December 10, The Indian School collaborated with Sachhi Saheli, NGO to host an online workshop for the students of classes IX and XI.

The guest speaker, Ms Rikita Narula, menstrual health educator, trainer and project head, Sachhi Saheli, shared her views on the taboos about menstruation.

The session welcomed the boy students for the very first time. Previously, only girl students attended these sessions. The informative talk delivered the message of mutual respect and understanding between the two genders. The speech highlighted that menstruation was both a physical and a psychological process.

Ms Narula shared some shocking facts on the matter. She mentioned that an alarming almost 200 million people in India lack awareness about menstrual hygiene. As a result, many young girls drop out of school once they hit puberty, thus, depriving themselves of the right to education. Many suffer from illnesses and diseases on account of not having access to hygienic products. It was shocking to learn that substitutes for sanitary pads include paper, ash, dry leaves and cloth among the uninitiated womenfolk. All of this is due to a lack of awareness, availability and higher cost of hygienic products.

Myths and taboos surround menstruation and it is deemed embarrassing and inauspicious in several places. The session imparted a valuable lesson of extending help to women suffering from PMS.

The workshop covered a wide range of associated topics. The audience gained insights into the female reproductive system, reasons for calling it a period, calculation of cycle date, making 5 P pouches ( Pad, Panty, Paper, Paper soap, Paper bag), and lastly, the myths surrounding this natural phenomenon.

The students appreciated the interaction and expressed their gratitude towards the NGO, Sachhi Saheli and the school for organising the workshop.

Pari Pahwal, 11D.