Draft Menstrual Hygiene Policy for Social Justice in India

December 14, 2023

GS Paper I Indian Society Social Justice

Context: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has formulated a draft menstrual hygiene policy.

Menstrual Hygiene: Insights from NFHS 5 and Urgency for Policy Action in India

Increase in Hygienic Menstrual Protection: As per 5th National Family Health Survey (NFHS 5), there has been a significant improvement in the percentage of women (aged 15-24 years) who use a hygienic method of protection during their menstrual cycle, rising from 58% in NFHS-4 to 78%.
- Among these women, 64% use sanitary napkins, 50% use cloth, and 15% use locally prepared napkins.
Importance of Education for Girls: The NFHS 5 revealed that women who have received 12 or more years of schooling are more than twice as likely to use a hygienic method compared to those with no schooling.
Rural- Urban Gap: In terms of location, 73% of rural women while 90% of urban women use a hygienic method of menstrual protection respectively.
Gaps in States in Menstrual Hygiene Policy : A few States continue to have lower than average access to use of a hygienic method of menstrual protection by women and girls. Bihar(59.7%) has the lowest percentage of girls using hygienic methods of menstrual protection which shows lack of awareness toward Menstrual Hygiene Policy.
Need for Menstrual Hygiene Policy: These findings highlight the need for targeted efforts and initiatives to improve menstrual hygiene practices in India.

Understanding Menstruation: A Vital Aspect of Women’s Health and Wellbeing & Role of Menstrual Hygiene Policy

Menstruation: It refers to the monthly process in which a woman’s body sheds the lining of the uterus through vaginal bleeding.
- This is a natural part of the menstrual cycle and typically occurs in women of reproductive age (15-49 years).
Bleeding Phase: The bleeding phase, known as menstruation or a period, typically lasts about 3 to 7 days.
Menstrual Cycle: Menstruation is controlled by hormones, and the menstrual cycle usually lasts about 28 days, although it can vary from person to person.
Menstrual Health: It is an integral part of the health and wellbeing of a person and is a determinant of the quality of life which includes things like mobility, work participation, access to education, dignity and freedom.

Menstrual Hygiene Policy: A Comprehensive Approach to Menstrual Hygiene Policy in Alignment with SDGs

Menstrual Hygiene Policy recognizes menstruation as a natural bodily process for all who menstruate including girls and women of reproductive age and addresses the long-standing challenges associated with menstruation in our country.
Alignment with SDGs: The Menstrual Hygiene Policy aligns with India’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in relation to Goal 3 (good health and well-being), Goal 4 (quality education), Goal 5 (gender equality), and Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation).
Life Cycle Approach:The Menstrual Hygiene Policy ensures comprehensive support through the entire menstrual journey, recognizing the unique needs of individuals from menarche to menopause.
- Menarche: It marks the beginning of menstrual period in a female adolescent which typically occurs between the ages of 10 and 16 years.
- Menopause: It marks the end of reproductive years and most women experience it between the ages of 45 and 55 years.
Policy Vision: All women, girls and persons who menstruate are able to experience menstruation in a manner that is safe, healthy and free from stigma.
Policy Goal: Access to safe and dignified menstrual hygiene resources and thereby realize their full potential in health and wellbeing, education, economic and other aspects of life.
Key target groups through Menstrual Hygiene Policy:
- Primary target groups are the young and adolescent girls, trans and non- binary menstruators, mothers, peers and other older women in the family.
- Secondary target groups are boys, men, teachers, frontline health workers (like ASHAs, AWW, ANMs and sanitary workers) PRIs, self-help-group members etc.
- Tertiary target groups are the key political leaders, socio-political influencers, informal networks, religious groups, neighborhood groups, etc.

Key Objectives of the Menstrual Hygiene Policy for Access, Awareness, and Sustainability

Ensure Access to Resources: To ensure that women, girls and persons who menstruate have access to safe, hygienic and quality menstrual products and sanitation facilities.
Access to Correct Information: To create an enabling environment for people including women, girls, men and boys so that they have access to correct information on menstruation, and to address myths, stigma and gender issues around menstruation.
Ensuring Coordination: To provide a coordination mechanism among different Central Government Ministries, States/ UTs and relevant stakeholders and sectors.
Menstrual Friendly Environment: To create a ‘menstrual friendly environment’ in all settings including homes, schools/ educational institutions, workplaces and public spaces
Other Objectives of Menstrual Hygiene Policy:
- To foster innovative practices with social entrepreneurs and the private sector.
- To strengthen environmentally sustainable menstrual waste disposal.

Challenges Associated with Menstrual Hygiene in India:

Stigma and Taboos: Cultural beliefs and practices contribute to a lack of open discussion about menstruation, leading to misinformation and perpetuating myths.
- For example, women are not allowed to enter kitchens and eat along with their families while they are on their periods.
Lack of Education: Lack of adequate education about menstruation lead to improper hygiene practices and contributes to health issues.
- For example, less educated women are more likely to avoid using hygienic methods like tampons and sanitary pads.
Limited Access to Menstrual Products: Affordability and accessibility of menstrual hygiene products, particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged areas lead many women to resort to using unhygienic materials.
Lack of Waste Disposal Infrastructure: Lack of these facilities leads to the disposal of used menstrual products in open spaces which poses environmental and health hazards.
- For example, burning of pads releases harmful gas that affects health and environment.

Significance of the Menstrual Hygiene Policy:

Improving Access and Affordability: Menstrual Hygiene Policy improving access to safe menstrual hygiene products and to reduce the financial burden of menstruation on individuals and families, particularly for those in low-income communities and marginalized groups.
Ensuring Equity: Menstrual Hygiene Policy prioritises equity to enable all menstruating individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status and geographical location, to have equal opportunities to access and manage their menstruation in a safe and hygienic way.
- Address disparities and barriers that prevent certain groups from accessing required menstrual hygiene products, resources and information.
Inclusivity: All women and adolescent girls, persons with disabilities, ethnic groups, minorities, trans and non-binary population, vulnerable populations and specially identified groups will be specifically focused on.
- The policy also targets men and boys at the family and community level through a range of awareness programs to strengthen men’s roles and build a conducive environment.
Education and Awareness: Focus on comprehensive menstrual hygiene education, aiming to raise awareness about menstruation, its biological processes, and the importance of menstrual hygiene management.
- Menstrual Hygiene Policy includes promoting accurate information, debunking misconceptions and stigma associated with menstruation.
Providing Safe and Hygienic Facilities: Policy has provision of clean, private and well-maintained toilets, washing facilities and disposal systems in schools, workplaces, public spaces and communities to enable individuals to manage their menstrual hygiene safely, hygienically and with dignity.
Waste Management and Environmental Sustainability: The Menstrual Hygiene Policy identifies the need for environmentally friendly menstrual hygiene products and proper disposal practices to minimize environmental pollution.
- For example, developing user-friendly biodegradable or reusable menstrual products and the implementation of specific systems that can manage menstrual waste in an eco-friendly manner.

Government Initiatives Driving Menstrual Hygiene and Education through Menstrual Hygiene Policy

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) by Ministry of Women and Child Development: Training of Anganwadi Workers and supervisors across States and UTs to conduct sessions on menstrual hygiene management for out of school adolescent girls.
Swachh Vidyalaya component under Samagra Shiksha: This includes training of nodal teachers on menstrual hygiene management under Swachh Vidyalaya program in day schools and residential schools for girls.
Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin: This mission promotes separate toilets for women and girls at home for safely managing menstruation. Awareness generation for out of school girls on menstrual hygiene management is done through women swachhagrahi.
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK): RKSK includes counselling of adolescent girls on puberty and menstrual hygiene management.
National Rural Livelihood Scheme by Ministry Panchayati Raj: This scheme aims at empowering self help groups to set up and produce sanitary pads to ensure a regular supply of sanitary napkins to adolescent girls in rural areas.

Way Forward: A Proactive Approach for Advancing Menstrual Hygiene Practices

Develop Comprehensive Communication Guidelines: On menstrual hygiene management, encompassing the usage of menstrual products, their disposal and personal hygiene practices.
- Develop clear, concise, and culturally appropriate messaging that addresses the specific needs and concerns of target groups, using inclusive language to avoid stigmatizing menstruating individuals.
Ensuring Community Engagement: Menstrual Hygiene can be achieved through organizing awareness campaigns to encouraging participation from all community members including men, religious leaders, etc. and involving local organizations, community influencers etc. in designing and implementing communication initiatives
Implement a Robust Monitoring and Evaluation System: To assess the impact of communication activities, collecting data on practices related to menstrual hygiene, and conducting regular evaluations to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to the communication strategy.
Ensuring Proper Menstrual Waste Disposal: The government needs to take charge to develop long-term solutions for sanitary waste disposal.
- For example, incinerators can be used according to eco friendly guidelines so that they emit less harmful gasses, could be installed in schools, institutions, and slum areas and at community level.