DW&SD Minister launches menstrual hygiene drive

Minister for drinking water & sanitation department Mithilesh Kumar Thakur on Thursday stressed on the need of spreading right information and awareness on women menstrual hygiene. The minister was speaking on the occasion of month-long digital awareness campaign to promote better health for girls and women. The campaign christened as ‘Chuppi Toro, Swasth Raho’ (Break the Silence, Stay Healthy) uses digital media to ensure public awareness while adhering to COVID-19 social distancing norms.

Thakur said, “The need of the hour is to create proper awareness about menstrual period among fair sex. This is not related with social discrimination. Girls and women should share problems related with menstrual cycle.” The minister on the occasion once again mooted the idea on use of sanitary pads.  

The minister on the occasion also released the posters associated with the ‘Break the silence be healthy’ campaign in the workshop and also launched the Red Dot Challenge.

He said, “Menstrual period is still seen as a taboo in the society. Even today, in many homes, women are not allowed entering the house of worship during the monthly cycle; they are not allowed to enter even the kitchen.” The need of the hour is to promote awareness about clean menstrual period, especially among school children.  The minister said that government is working on providing free sanitary pads to school children.

28 May is marked as Menstrual Hygiene Day globally to bring together non-profit, government agencies, individuals, the private sector and the media to promote good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) for all women and girls.

 It aims to break the silence, build awareness and combat taboos and negative social norms around MHM by engaging decision makers, influencers and the community at large.

Initiated by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department (DWSD) with the support of UNICEF, the campaign will use TV, online conferencing, the media and digital platforms such as WhatsApp to ensure the campaign reaches a wide audience between 28 May and 27 June, 2020.

Also speaking on drinking water and sanitation secretary Prashant Kumar said that menstrual period is a natural process that adolescents and women have to undergo each month.

People see it as a social taboo that women have to go through very difficult situations. “Break Silence Be Healthy” program will run from May 28 to June 27 in the state. Its complete outline has been prepared. Prashant Kumar said that due to Covid-19, digital medium will be used to make this campaign public. In which media, electronic media, social media, online video conferencing will play an important role.