World Menstrual Hygiene Day: DU students create launch pad to spread awareness | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
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World Menstrual Hygiene Day: DU students create launch pad to spread awareness

By, New Delhi
May 28, 2023 12:25 PM IST

On Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28), youngsters from across Delhi University colleges share how they are making constant efforts to create awareness around menstrual health. From organising fests to seminars and executing sanitary napkin distribution drives, they are doing it all.

When youngsters get together for a cause, there’s nothing that can stop them from making the society a better place. On World Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28), some students of Delhi University share how they are working all round the year to create awareness around menstrual health.

Students of Hansraj College’s Women Development Cell have conducted sanitary napkin distribution drives at various slums across Delhi.
Students of Hansraj College’s Women Development Cell have conducted sanitary napkin distribution drives at various slums across Delhi.

“There is a growing momentum for change,” shares Khushi Singh, a final-year student of Institute of Home Economics (IHE) and head of Maitri — one-of-a-kind sustainable menstrual health society in DU. “We established this society in February after realising that there is no other club across DU colleges that talks about this issue... We realise how social media is the most effective way to reach the masses in today’s age and therefore we are recording videos and will post them today, in a series. From talking about menstrual health to sustainable menstrual hygiene products, we aim to cover everything visually so that women watching these feel motivated to improve their mentrual health and more so about going the eco-friendly way.”

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IHE students recently organised a reel-making competition were 60-90 second videos were shot by them focussing on the concerns they face. “We wanted to create a platform for dialogue... We had also organised a puppet show to teach the students as well as the non-teaching staff about how significant it is to take care of our menstrual hygiene. It’s important for everyone, especially the young girls, to realise that this is a natural process and not a taboo. So they shouldn’t feel guilty or dirty about chumming,” adds Neeraja Thekkumpat, another IHE student.

Students of IHE’s Maitri society had organised a period fest to raise awareness about menstrual health.
Students of IHE’s Maitri society had organised a period fest to raise awareness about menstrual health.

There are still so many myths surrounding menstruation, which are “heartbreaking to come across” shares Aakansha Nehra, a second-year student of Hansraj College. She is a member of the college’s Women Development Cell (WDC), and informs, “The first-year students of our college will be part of a pad distribution drive in Timarpur, on May 28... So far this year, we have already conducted four sanitary napkin distribution drives in the slums at Timarpur, Yamuna Khadar, and Sanjay Basti. There are young girls who are ostracised by their family during ‘that time’ of the month, even today! That’s why through our workshops, we endeavour to normalise the subject of periods at the grassroots level.”

But it’s not just the woman power at work when it comes to this cause. Some young boys are also joining in the fight for menstrual hygiene awareness. “Unless all of us come together, change is not possible,” says Fraddy Rozario, a final-year student of Dyal Singh College, adding, “My friends and I will be distributing sanitary napkins to the underprivileged women around our college campus... You don’t have to be a woman to care about menstrual hygiene. We need to break these stereotypes if we want to make an impact.”

Sanitary napkin vending machines have been installed in some DU colleges. (Photo: Yogendra Kumar/HT (For representational purposes only))
Sanitary napkin vending machines have been installed in some DU colleges. (Photo: Yogendra Kumar/HT (For representational purposes only))

Distributing sanitary pads is however not enough to inculcate habits of maintaining menstrual hygiene. Thekkumpat, the IHE student, adds, “To break the age-old stigma, we had organised a Period Fest in Connaught Place, in collaboration with an NGO. Our motto was ‘Kyuki hum bolenge, muh kholenge, tabhi zamana badlega’. Students across the varsity came to celebrate and performed stand-up acts, songs, and dances. We need to come up with such events more often.”

Author tweets @KritiKambiri

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