What’s in Today’s Article?
- Background
- About Menstrual Hygiene (Meaning, Status in Indian Prisons, Initiatives by Govt, Way Ahead)
Background:
- India has made significant progress in menstrual hygiene management.
- The National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2019-2020) shows that around 80% of young women aged 15-24 now use safe menstrual products.
- However, while urban areas and certain groups have seen improvements, women in Indian prisons remain neglected.
- In a society that often denies prisoners basic rights, female prisoners suffer more due to societal biases that refuse to accept women can commit crimes.
- This has led to their basic needs, like menstrual hygiene, being overlooked.
What is the Meaning of Menstrual Hygiene?
- Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) is essential to the well-being and empowerment of women and adolescent girls.
- On any given day, more than 300 million women worldwide are menstruating.
- In total, an estimated 500 million lack access to menstrual products and adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management (MHM).
- To effectively manage their menstruation, girls and women require:
- Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities,
- Affordable and appropriate menstrual hygiene materials,
- Information on good practices, and
- Supportive environment where they can manage menstruation without embarrassment or stigma.
Status of Menstrual Hygiene in Indian Prisons:
- There are 23,772 women in Indian prisons, with 77% in the reproductive age group and likely to menstruate regularly.
- However, the availability and quality of sanitary napkins in prisons are inconsistent and often inadequate.
- Despite the 2016 Model Prison Manual's recommendations, many states haven't provided sufficient water and washroom facilities for female prisoners.
- Overcrowding and poor conditions make it difficult for women to access essentials like water, sanitary napkins, detergent, and soap during menstruation.
- A 2023 study conducted in a Maharashtra prison revealed that water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities are inadequate, forcing women to store water and share limited toilets.
- This situation led to higher instances of urinary infections and difficulties in maintaining menstrual hygiene.
- Prisons rely on NGOs for sanitary napkin donations, often resulting in substandard products.
- In one case, only one pair of reusable napkins was provided per woman, which was impractical due to limited access to water and detergent.
Measures Taken by the Government:
- India has been working to improve menstrual hygiene access, particularly for young women, through initiatives like the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme, which distributes free or subsidized sanitary napkins.
- Additionally, affordable Suraksha Suvidha Napkins are available at Jan Aushadhi Kendras for ₹1 each.
- In 2023, India introduced the 'National Menstrual Hygiene Policy' to recognize menstruation as a natural process needing more attention, emphasizing equity in safe and dignified menstrual hygiene management for all, regardless of socioeconomic status or location.
- The policy acknowledges prisoners as a group with limited access to menstrual hygiene.
- However, it lacks a specific action plan to address this issue and does not involve the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is crucial for prison-related matters.
Way Ahead:
- The Indian government must ensure basic menstrual hygiene standards for women in prisons.
- The inconsistent implementation of the Model Prison Manual 2016 across states needs immediate action, with every state required to follow its recommendations.
- Addressing menstrual hygiene in prisons should be seen through a public health perspective as part of combating 'period poverty.'
- Public health authorities and prison administrators should collaborate to develop a comprehensive strategy for providing adequate menstrual hygiene products and facilities, prioritizing the health and dignity of incarcerated women.
- Additionally, there is a need for research to understand the current state of menstrual hygiene in prisons.
