Menstrual Health Awareness and Advocacy
Institute of Research and Development for the Rural Poor (IRDRP),
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Contact: Dr. Irudayasamy
Dates: July 2020 – June 2021
Total Budget: Rs. 5, 50,000
Surveys have shown that almost 50% of the young girls and women (probably a higher number for poorer women) in India have one or more types of vaginal complaints due to unhealthy practices of Menstrual Hygiene by them.
To address this issue IRDRP conducted a detailed survey of the women and girls in 7 tribal communities about the existing practices of Menstrual Hygiene and Management. One of the distressing statistics was that almost 51% of the girls missed going to school because of inadequate toilet facilities or the reluctance of the teachers to allow the girls to go to the toilet to change the sanitary pads.
They published a training module on Menstrual Hygiene Management for trainers as well as for the participants. It addressed various areas, including Menstrual Management and hygiene and finally the diseases related to mismanagement of menstrual hygiene. IRDRP also organized additional training for instructors and organized a meeting of about 286 NGOs from Tamilnadu and UNICEF state Chapters to explore how the various NGOs could collaborate with IRDRP to implement the project in their respective districts.
To increase awareness on Menstrual Health meetings for girls and young women in the tribal communities as well as the migrant workers and the landless laborers in 8 different districts of Tamil Nadu were organized. Free sanitary napkins were distributed to all participants.
