Menstrual hygiene is an issue that is intertwined with every aspect of life. It is an issue that finds connection in whatever activity you say, or any goal one wishes to achieve. But regretful to say that it is an issue which is neglected like no other. It is an issue which is an inception of myths, stigmas and goes to ignorance in even being acknowledged.
India had a total of 141829 projected population in 2017, which was supposed to be receiving higher education. The sheer number says the story as to how vast it is and that education is important for all genders. As per UGC, there are a total of 958 universities in India, and around 75 of them are in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Now the reason to highlight this data is that after having so many universities and an uncountable number of colleges in India if you try to find out how many of them are menstrual friendly, you would find a very interesting thing. There isn’t any data available!
This is perhaps because of the sheer ignorance of menstrual hygiene in education and educational institutions. Talking about my place, Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, has a total of 14 universities but none of them is menstrual friendly. None of the universities in Lucknow has any pad vending machines or incinerators installed on their campus, let alone any other facilities. Why am I particularly pointing out for the need for pad vending machines and incinerators is because it is something that must be there.
In a notification dated 21st June 2017, with the notification number D.O. No. 14-5/2016(CPP-II), UGC had asked all higher education institutes to install pad vending machines on their campuses. But how many actually complied with that notification even after three years is a matter which nobody cares to look into. And why so? Maybe because menstrual hygiene isn’t considered that necessary an issue to be talked about and actually worked upon.
But it is not that none of the universities has complied with any norm or has done nothing. Universities like RGNUL, TNNLU have installed pad vending machines on their campuses (in the academic block as well as in girls’ hostels) while HNLU has kept separate dustbins (covered by the lid) in every toilet in girls’ hostel for disposal of used sanitary pads. Also, the dustbin is emptied regularly, and the university is in the process of procuring a pad vending machine and incinerator in this academic year. I am sure there must be some more institutes in the country which would be menstrual friendly, but again, “No Data”!
Also, the fact is that the institutes which are menstrual friendly can be counted on fingers, but the total number of institutions is nothing short of a vast number. “It seems as if we are being punished and made to feel embarrassed every month just because we are menstruator,” says a menstruator from one of the National Institutions.
When it comes to making higher education institutes menstrual friendly, there is a reluctance with the administration of these institutes even to talk. They just ignore, do not want to engage in any talks, and just simply do not allow any conference or a seminar to be held on this issue. Why so? Again, no reason that I can think of other than the prevailing shame associated with menstruation.
So maybe try to initiate conversations, and that would be the biggest victory. Even if one person starts a conversation, a chain reaction will follow, and maybe after some decades, we could witness the normalization of the normal.