The address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the 74th Independence Day touched upon the topic of ‘menstruation’ for which he received plaudits online.
Menstruation being a natural process from which every female goes through is still considered a taboo in India but it got a boost in the name of women empowerment and women’s health when Prime Minister talked about this topic in his address publicly. He said government’s machinery was told to provide affordable sanitary napkins to poor women by ‘Jan Aushadhi kendras’ at just one rupee each
“This government has been persistently concerned about better healthcare for poor sisters and daughters. We have done a huge job in providing sanitary pads at one rupee each in Jan Aushadhi Kendra. In a short span of time, more than 5 crore sanitary pads have been delivered to these poor women from 6000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras,” he claimed.
Do you know about Jan Aushadhi Kendra?
‘Jan Aushadhi Medical Stores’ are working under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). PMBJP, a campaign that was launched by the Pharmaceutical Department to provide efficacy and quality medicines at an affordable cost to the masses. A total of 4100 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are functioning in India. In the previous year only, the government had slashed the price of sanitary napkins sold by Jan Aushadhi stores from ₹2.50 to ₹1 per one piece which was a significant drop of at least 60 percent and the government also announced to bear the cost in subsidized form.
Although this step is praised and implemented with great enthusiasm but still there are women and girls left out. Girls in rural areas are stopped from going to schools once they enter the age of menstruation. Those females who live in villages or most congested area are still unaware of this scheme and using ‘cloth’ during menstrual days. This has been the main reason why Indian women face issues in the wake of women’s health empowerment. Talking about the sanitation facilities, we knew that although the government is working to initiate the measure to one and each house, the reality is harsh to hear. Most of the families are using them as a storeroom to keep grains or other items.
Rita Kumari, 28 years old woman who lives in the village of Hisar, Haryana says, “When we go through the days of menstruation, we travel too far by places in search of sanitation only after the evening time. We hide this problem from the male members of the family and we are unable to get even sanitary kits from the Anganwadis of our area.”
Not only one measure, but PM Modi also focused upon the determination of the right age of women in India. By pointing out several welfare issues for women he included six months of maternity leave to women apart from the regular salary during that time. ‘Period leaves’ are another announcement through which women in white-collar jobs and from low-income households can easily access this as a benefit.
“We welcome Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Independence Day Speech, which is particularly a huge victory for those of us working in the field of women’s and young people’s reproductive health and empowerment. The focus of the PM’s speech was enabling and empowering youth and women to be skilled and creative and provide innovative solutions in every sphere for building an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’,” said Poonam Muttreja, a public health expert and Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India.
Poonam said that Modi’s speech provides an encouragement to talk kore openly about issues that are critical for the empowerment of girls and women, including access to menstrual hygiene products and preventing early marriages, which are vital in any conversation about India’s future.
Empowerment of women and Women’s Health always remains controversial topics in our country. The track to achieve them at the fullest is going slow in the process but the taboos related to menstruation and other health issues are also breaking down not fully but partially.
The Future is ours and the goal to achieve what we want must be implemented.
Written by Anjali Singh
