On World Menstrual Hygiene day, here are 8 facts about menstruation in India that you just won’t believe are true.
1. Only 12% of menstruating women in India actually use sanitary pads!! The majority still use unsterile rags or ‘kapda’ as absorbents.
2. One out of every 5 girls in India drop out of school at the onset of menstruation. From those still attending school, 60% girls miss 3-4 days of school every month.
3. 125 kg of soiled sanitary napkins is produced by every pad-using woman through her lifetime. That is enough to cover 2.5 football fields!
4. Many girls in the interiors of the country are forced to use sand, ash and dried leaves as menstrual absorbents!
This is because of no access or high expense of sanitary pads.
5. 80% girls in India report low confidence after the onset of menstruation.
6. During their period, many women restrict intake of water and fluids to avoid going to the toilet often.
7. Many young women and girls walk up to 2km from their homes to bury their used pads in an abandoned land.
8. 99% of girls in India don’t undergo a formal conversation on menstrual hygiene in their lifetime! Many girls still believe they are being punished by God every month.
It is high time we put an end to this horrific state of affairs.
No one deserves to undergo such a distressing experience every single month of their lives.
Let’s use our power to empower! Contribute in every capacity you can.
Article is written by Nitisha Sethia, a project coordinator at Project Baala.
Project Baala is a social initiative to promote better menstrual hygiene and awareness in India.
Reach out to them on www.projectbaala.com.