The Indian school system is a domain that critically needs to develop menstrual infrastructure. The adolescent menstruating population faces several issues, from the inaccessibility of menstrual products to inadequate sanitation facilities.
In today’s scenario, campaigns like “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” are being popularised. But the fact that many young girls are unable to continue their education due to lack of sanitation and menstrual products in schools proves to be counterproductive.
The graph is somewhat similar across the country. Except for a few select organisations, a major chunk of schools or colleges either in rural or urban areas, fail to acknowledge their responsibility towards the menstruating population they constitute.
The need for infrastructure in educational Institutions
According to UNICEF, approximately 28 million children, accounting for 14.7% of total children enrolled, do not have access to toilet facilities in schools.
Educational institutes, thus, aren’t equipped to support adolescents during monthly cycles, resulting in massive absenteeism. The inability, or rather inaction on the part of institutes to provide primary menstrual products such as sanitary napkins, reflects the need for menstrual awareness.
The problem doesn’t just end here. Sometimes, schools don’t even have washrooms or running water supply or private areas to facilitate the changing of menstrual products. In such a scenario, many opt to skip school every month or drop out altogether on attaining puberty. And those that can fulfil the bare minimum criteria are lagging at other fronts.
It’s a one-step forward two steps back routine. Even leading schools in metropolitan areas that boast of world-class facilities and high academic standards do not bother sensitising their student body towards the issue.
In a community that predominantly stigmatises menstruation, the shame associated with it turns into yet another barrier against education. It isn’t uncommon to witness educational institutes that are fundamental in shaping the youth of the nation, turning a blind eye and ear to the importance of promoting menstrual awareness and positivity.
In order to ensure the creation of a friendly school environment for menstruators, installing sanitary napkin dispensers and incinerators, or launching awareness campaigns isn’t enough. Instead, the sanitation infrastructure in schools has to incorporate not a gendered approach but a menstrual approach.
Impact on the education of young Children
Many young individuals depend on their schools or educational institutions for menstrual products, owing to several reasons like poverty or inaccessibility. Often, the availability of sanitary napkins and menstrual products turns into an incentive for attending schools.
Each year, millions of students drop out of schools on attaining puberty due to period poverty, stigma and lack of educational resources to manage monthly cycles. Or the inability of the public domain to provide proper products and sanitation facilities are also a few of the reasons. However, while some consistency is seen in annual statistics, we barely witness effective policy change to support menstruators.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent menstrual Health
The current pandemic has not only exacerbated the situation but highlighted the further cracks in accessibility. While many are fortunate enough to be able to afford menstrual products, a large number of young people were dependent on schools to provide them with the necessary sanitary products.
Indian streets house a large population of the country’s poor. For them, it was challenging to observe hygiene ever before the outburst of the pandemic. The outbreak has only made this process harder. Likewise, a large portion of the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) have been disproportionately hit. Constrained production and limitations on the supply chain have adversely influenced the availability of commodities.
And with layoffs in every sector, menstrual products are classified as a “luxury”, often taking a back sit in the face of essentials like food and shelter. However, this is a “luxury” that one cannot afford to lose.
Not only do people not understand that menstrual needs cannot be grouped anywhere, but within the bracket of essentials they also don’t seem to grasp the health implications of many individuals reverting to using rags, wood shavings or ashes in these extenuating circumstances.
There have been numerous efforts by non-governmental organisations or social workers to supply menstrual products, especially in low-income regions. Although this has made a difference, there is yet much to be accomplished.