{"id":110730,"date":"2024-05-28T20:20:54","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T14:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=110730"},"modified":"2024-05-28T20:20:54","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T14:50:54","slug":"menstrual-hygiene-in-indian-prisons","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/menstrual-hygiene-in-indian-prisons","title":{"rendered":"Menstrual Hygiene in Indian Prisons"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On World Menstrual Hygiene Day which is <\/span><b>celebrated annually on 28 May<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a recent report highlights<\/span><b> menstrual hygiene in Indian Prisons.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Background of Menstrual Hygiene in India<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Progress in Menstrual Hygiene:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> India has seen notable advancements in menstrual hygiene management.\u00a0 According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2019-2020), approximately 80% of adolescent girls aged 15-24 now utilize safe menstrual products.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Disparity in Menstrual Hygiene in Indian Prisons<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Despite progress in urban regions and specific demographics, women in Indian prisons continue to face neglect.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a societal context where basic rights for prisoners are often denied, female inmates experience additional challenges due to entrenched biases that question women&#8217;s capacity to commit crimes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.8996%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>Relation of Human Rights and Menstruation:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Right to health:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 Women and girls may experience negative health consequences when they lack the supplies and facilities to manage their menstrual health.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Right to education: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0Lack of a safe place or ability to manage menstrual hygiene as well as lack of medication to treat menstruation-related pain can all contribute to higher rates of school absenteeism and poor educational outcome<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Right to work:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 Poor access to safe means of managing menstrual hygiene and lack of medication to treat menstruation-related disorders or pain also limit job opportunities for women and girls.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Right to non-discrimination and gender equality :<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Stigmas and norms related to menstruation can reinforce discriminatory practices.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Right to water and sanitation:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Water and sanitation facilities, such as bathing facilities, that are private, safe and culturally acceptable, along with a sufficient, safe and affordable water supply are basic prerequisites for managing menstrual health management.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Status of Menstrual Hygiene in Indian Prisons<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Menstrual Hygiene in Indian Prisons:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In Indian prisons, there are 23,772 women, with 77% falling within the reproductive age group and likely to menstruate regularly.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Challenges in Providing Adequate Facilities:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 Despite the recommendations outlined in the 2016 Model Prison Manual, numerous states have failed to furnish adequate water and restroom facilities for female inmates.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overcrowding and substandard conditions further exacerbate the difficulty for women in accessing essential items such as water, sanitary napkins, detergent, and soap during menstruation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Conditions of Prisons<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: In a Maharashtra prison, a study conducted in 2023 uncovered inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, compelling women to store water and utilize limited toilets collectively.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consequently, this scenario resulted in increased occurrences of urinary infections and challenges in upholding menstrual hygiene.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Inadequate Sanitary Napkins:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prisons often depend on NGOs for donations of sanitary napkins, which can sometimes lead to the distribution of inferior products.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In one instance, each woman received only one set of reusable napkins, which proved impractical due to limited access to water and detergent.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Steps Taken by the Government to promote Menstrual Hygiene<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>SABLA Scheme: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The SABLA program, initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, addresses nutrition, health, hygiene, and reproductive and sexual health, connecting them with rural mother and child care centers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>\u00a0National Rural Livelihood Mission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:The National Rural Livelihood Mission, under the Ministry of Rural Development, aids self-help groups and small-scale manufacturers in producing sanitary pads.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>National Guidelines for Menstrual Hygiene Management:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation under <\/span><b>Swachh Bharat Abhiyan\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">released the National Guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management in 2015.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They encompass various aspects such as awareness-raising, behavior change, demand generation for hygiene products, capacity building for frontline workers, stakeholder sensitization, convergence efforts for effective interventions, and the establishment of WASH facilities with safe disposal options.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Suvidha Sanitary Napkins <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Sanitary Napkins are accessible at Jan Aushadhi Kendras across India at a subsidized rate of Rs. 1\/- per pad.It is an\u00a0 initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ensuring Menstrual Hygiene Standards in Prisons: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Indian government must enforce basic menstrual hygiene standards for women in prisons.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Immediate action is needed to address the inconsistent implementation of the Model Prison Manual 2016, ensuring all states adhere to its recommendations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Public Health Priority:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Addressing menstrual hygiene in prisons should be viewed as a public health priority and a crucial step in combating &#8216;period poverty.&#8217;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Collaborative Strategy:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Prison administrators and public health authorities must work together to create a comprehensive plan to ensure incarcerated women have access to adequate menstrual hygiene products and facilities, prioritizing their health and dignity.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further research is necessary to understand the current state of menstrual hygiene in prisons.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a 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Prisons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"paper-wise":[],"subject":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/110730"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/current-affairs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110730"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/110730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":110732,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/current-affairs\/110730\/revisions\/110732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110730"},{"taxonomy":"paper-wise","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/paper-wise?post=110730"},{"taxonomy":"subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/subject?post=110730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}