Promoting safe sanitation among women
Women in a village about 200 km from the Indian capital are no longer embarrassed to talk about menstrual hygiene. An innovative idea of distributing low-cost sanitary napkins as part of the rural sanitation campaign is bringing about significant attitudinal change and awareness on safe disposal of waste.
Kurukshetra, Haryana: To talk about sanitary napkins is most difficult. Although, it is one of the important utilities concerning women and growing girls, it is considered a taboo in society.
A community-led rural sanitation campaign having already made a visible impact in the lives of women in this district of Haryana is now ready to step into an area which is still a hush-hush talk in society for years.
An innovative scheme of distributing low-cost sanitary napkins among village women and school-going girls through self-help groups (SHGs) in Kurukshetra district of Haryana has now focused on a whole new issue as part of rural sanitation and personal hygiene drive.
- Kamlesh and Sheela are part of the campaign / Photo credit: Kalyan Singh Kothari / OWSA
This change became visible during a day-long exposure visit arranged for journalists on November 17, 2008 to Bishangarh village in Kurukshetra, about 200 km from the Indian capital.
These were the journalists from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh selected under the Media Partnership Programme for South Asian Journalists, who had come to attend the Third South Asian Conference on Sanitation (SACOSANIII) held from November 18-21 in New Delhi.
In Kurukshetra district visited by this correspondent, people in about 400 villages have stopped defecating in open due to continuous efforts of villagers and this was recognised through the Nirmal Gram Puruskar.
Gender sensitive sanitation
Sanitation issues relating to women's dignity was the main theme of SACOSAN III. The resolution adopted at the end of the conference said that the menstrual hygiene management should be viewed from a holistic perspective covering health, psychological, social and rights issues.
During the field visit to the Bishangarh village, the journalists talked to rural women about how they are overcoming the old age habit of using unhygienic cotton cloth method and switching over to hygienic sanitary napkin.
Kamlesh and Sheela from Klipalla village told that even though they know about sanitary napkins, the cost of the napkins is not affordable. These women were part of the gathering at the village, raising the slogan ''Clean village is healthy village”.
The veils were no bar to the women. They told that how village committees were formed to make them aware and they said that indicators show that many had gradually started to use them and were also helping the SHGs, who are the part of this campaign.
- Sudesh / Photo credit: Kalyan Singh Kothari / OWSA
Sudesh, sarpanch of the village said that mindset and behavioural changes in rural folk are visible and this was achieved through tremendous social mobilisation, largely through perseverance of women. She quoted examples of how women and children act as vigilantes, armed with lathis and torches to enforce the norms day and nights, as laid down by the Nirmal Gram Puruskar.
Environment friendly
Sumedha Kataria, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kurukshetra told the visiting team of journalists that the initiative named "Sulabh", was launched recently for production of low-cost sanitary napkins a pilot basis.
Under Swaran Jayanti Gramin Swarozgar Yojna (SGSY) for rural women, as of now only one machine costing Rs 90,000/- has been installed which produces 4-10 napkins per minute.
This project run by women SHGs and district rural development agency has started propagating the use of low-cost sanitary napkins.
Kataria said they are distributed free but supplied on subsidised rate i.e. instead of Rs 15, each village women is provided a pack of eight Sulabh sanitary napkins at Rs 10.
Packed in a khaki envelop bearing the brand name and instructions regarding disposal, she claimed that these napkins will not pollute the environment as pulp is being used in manufacturing which has a distinctive property of being biodegradable.
Kataria said that due to the continuous efforts of Swachhhta Committees (Nigrani Samitis) constituted in each village, the message is being spread through Mahila Mandal, Aanganwadi workers, ASHA workers who are playing a crucial role in Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in these villages.
