ITANAGAR, Apr 17: A two-day workshop programme on Menstrual Hygiene Management as part of Swachh Bharat Diwas is being held under Swachh Bharat Mission in collaboration with Mumbai based NGO, Red is the New Green in association with Aga Khan Health Services, India here at Banquet Hall Itanagar today.

The programme aims at promoting good menstrual hygiene by providing health education to girls and women on menstruation and menstrual hygiene, increased community action to improve access to clean toilets with water, both at home and school, promoting the availability and use of sanitary products and enabling safe disposal of sanitary products.

Minister PHE & WS, IPR & Printing, Bamang Felix who graced the occasion as Chief Guest, while feeling the need for good menstrual hygiene for health and dignity for girls and women, said this programme should been taken up on mission mode. 

‘As ASHA workers, already have the advantage of being in close contact with women in the community, they should take the issues very seriously at the ground level as they can make a substantial difference to menstrual hygiene practices in the community. Menstrual Hygiene can be promoted in the community and in school and it will be best by starting with adolescence girls, although other women in the reproductive age group would also benefit from the information and access to sanitary products,’ the Minister added.

The Minister further said, responsibility does not only lie on the government but all the citizens of the state and country.

‘It is our collective responsibility to educate and create awareness amongst all about the basic elements of menstruation and menstrual hygiene, proper use and safe disposal of sanitary napkins and how to communicate the benefits of sanitary napkins and motivate girls in the use of sanitary napkins,’ Felix said.

The Minister, advised the resources persons to have brainstorming discussions on all aspects of menstrual hygiene in the 2 day workshop and recommend necessary issues to the government so that it can be taken up on priority and the target of menstrual hygiene mission achieved before time.

Earlier, there was brainstorming panel discussion with the resource persons like Deane De Mendes; founder of Red is the new Green, and its members Dr. Kranti Rayamane and Dr. Madhuri Rayamane, ASHA workers and Chief Engineers of the department where they discussed problems faced by them in educating about menstrual hygiene, problems faced by adolescence girls, how it is still a taboo in our society although menstruation is a natural, normal biological process experience by all adolescence girls and women yet it is not spoken bout openly causing unnecessary embarrassment and shame.

During the course of discussion some important issues relating to non-existence of school toilets were highlighted by the participants. In response to those concerns, Mission Director, SBM (G), Toko Jyoti clarified that the responsibility for construction of school and Anganwadi toilets has been delinked from PHE & WS Department and entrusted to Education Department and Social Welfare Department since 2014.

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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