Bhopal: Majhgava, Umaria, group of girls marked a pad party where they talked about mensuration and importance of pads. Last week, a similar pad party was organized in village Khedi and Amli Faliya, of Jhabua, where group of adolescents who have group called as Mahi Toli, did pad party and openly talked about menstrual hygiene issues and the challenges they face when it comes to menstrual hygiene. This was facilitated by NGO Vasudha Sansthan, which is working with UNICEF on providing space to adolescents to share and express their opinions.
Similarly in Harda, group of young girl’s gift each other sanitary pad on their birthdays and do pad party. Bharti, young person from Harda shares, we used to use cloth and now we gift each other sanitary pads and use that, so that we can practice better hygienic methods. We also share short movies in our pad party to bust myths and superstitions. We started this year and half back and are supported by changeloomers who are part of initiative of Synergy Sanasthan and UNICEF.
This effort is by adolescents and young girls to talk about an issue which is normally not talked openly in rural parts of the State, shares Gayatri Parihar, of Vasudha Sansthan
As per NFHS in Madhya Pradesh only 37.6 % of women in between age of 15-24 years use hygienic method during their menstrual periods. In rural parts usage of hygiene methods is only around 26.4 % and need to spread awareness is more here.
‘Improved knowledge on Menstrual Hygiene Management and practices during menstruation has a direct impact on adolescent girls and women’s health and as such increased awareness on essential menstrual hygiene products is critical to enable adolescent girls to adapt effective Menstrual Hygiene practices’ Michael Juma, Chief, UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh
Recently UNICEF also engaged social media influencers to spread awareness and talk about the issue of mensuration in the State and Madhya Pradesh State now has State Road map on menstrual hygiene management which has been put together by the State Government with support of UNICEF and Water Aid.
