“Sukhad” is an initiative started by Hamari Pahchan NGO for underprivileged women to educate them about menstrual hygiene management.
Menstrual hygiene Management is the access to menstrual hygiene products , privacy to change the materials, and access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual hygiene products. It also includes the need to address societal beliefs and taboos surrounding the issue. Sufficient knowledge, guidance and support in preparation for and during menstruation is also part of it.
Menstruation is a natural regular process of the female body which enables women to be in good health as our body gets rid of the monthly build up of impurities. It ensures good health and at the same time prepares the body for pregnancy in future. The taboo towards menstruation proves to be difficult for the women who have to go through this regular process.
Period poverty refers to the lack of access to sufficient menstrual hygiene management supplies and education, including sanitary products (e.g., tampons, pads, liners, menstrual cups), washing facilities, and disposal management.
Presently, there are about 3.73 billion women in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 52%, or 1.9 billion, of those women are of reproductive age, thus menstruating (WHO, 2018). It has been estimated that daily 300 million women are menstruating; on average a woman will spend about 3,500 days during her life menstruating. 663 million people lack basic access to safe water, and 2.4 billion people lack adequate access to basic sanitary conditions. It has been estimated that half a billion (or 13%) of women lacked a place to defecate, have little to no privacy for menstrual hygiene management, and 3/4 of those lacked access to soap and water.
According to the study conducted in India, 42% of women who participated in the study had no clue about sanitary pads or from where in their anatomy menstruation originated, and “most of them were scared or worried on first menstruation.” Lately, studies have shown that 50% of women in India have experienced a UTI related to the inability to safely manage their period. If left untreated, UTIs can lead to kidney failure.
I am an intern working with Hamari Pahchan NGO. Till the start of the internship I was not aware that what may seem normal to me, may seem luxury to others. As coming from a supportive family, I never thought that talking about menstruation would be considered a taboo. I am shocked by the fact that there are many underprivileged women and adolescent girls that are unaware of menstrual hygiene management or don’t have knowledge regarding what it is.
I believe that if you want to create a change, start by changing yourself. That’s why I have come forward to help these underprivileged women and adolescent girls as much as I can. I believe you will too.
Hamari Pahchan NGO had launched the *Sukhad Campaign* to help break this stigma and help women embrace healthy menstrual hygiene habits as well as providing them with employment opportunities. Sanitary pads, soaps, and paper envelopes are given out through the distribution drives it organizes. It also encourages people to stop using old clothes, rags, hay, sand, ash and makeshift pads made with used paper as it may cause yeast infection and other harmful effects in the long run such as UTI’s.
It spread awareness about how to take care of and manage periods and the significance of the proper disposal of sanitary pads after their use. Through this campaign it intends to normalize period conversations, not only among adolescent females, but also among their families as well.
Sukhad Kit for 1 woman for 3 months = Rs. 450/-
Sukhad Kit for 5 women for 3 months = Rs. 2,250/-
Sukhad Kit for 1 woman = Rs.1800/- for a year.
Sukhad Kit for 5 women = Rs.9000/- for a year.
The NGO has been conducting distribution drives every week in different areas.
Be the start of a change by changing yourself.