Not Just A Piece Of Cloth: Making Women Aware About Menstrual Hygiene

A 35 years old Minati Murmu, lives in the Valukchua village of Jhargram district, West Bengal. She gets up daily at 4 am to collect Sal leaves to make ropes from Sabai grass, to make ends meet. In her area most men have migrated to bigger cities in search of seasonal work, leaving the hard work of sustenance to the women. Is it any wonder then that millions of women like Minati aren't able to afford market sanitary pads.

Also their own menstrual health is also not a priority in the struggle for survival. Team Goonj held a detailed Break the Silence Meeting ( Chuppi Todo Baithak) with the women in the village and reached Cloth pads (MY Pads) to the women. The feedback from the women has been positive where they speak about the comfort and reusability of cloth pads. Goonj's goal is to make women like Minati more aware about their menstrual health while also to understand how they can use their own cloth more hygienically for this basic need.

You may have access to pads and may know about menstrual hygiene but do you still practice or have been witness to any menstrual taboos and do's and don'ts? Do you believe menstruation is a human issue and not just a Women's issue? We would like to hear from you.

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