Menstruation is an integral part of the female human experience, without which life itself would have been impossible. Yet, menstruation has been surrounded with a cloak of stigma and superstition for generations. Menstrual hygiene is one of the most important, yet neglected issues in the developing world.
In India approximately seventy percent of all reproductive diseases are caused by poor menstrual hygiene. It is a taboo subject, surrounded by silence and shame, that also restricts women's access to normal activities and services. The women in rural areas are the worst affected by this. People in those areas donot even have access to sanitary napkins. They still use clothes and rag which is not always possible to keep bacteria free.
Feminine hygiene is important to maintain overall health and should be part of one's everyday hygiene rituals. Non-governmental organisations can help at grassroot level; they can connect with female of all strata and organise informational as well as interactive workshops. Providing toilets and absorbents are not enough, rather proper hygiene habit formation is complimentary to such basic amenities. Many female in India still thinks themselves to be impure during menstruation, they need to be convinced about their purity. Similarly, a scientific outlook needs to be prevailed about it among those who are actually dealing menstruation too heavily in their life. We need a nationwide movement in respect of female hygiene; this will not only support heath and well-being of women but also give them a more dignified life.
In today's world, two billion people live without access to basic sanitation. For women and girls, this challenge is disproportionately difficult, making it a significant hurdle for women in the world today.
- Sagarika Dey
Ist Semester
Very true, thanks for this one
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