Webinar organised on World Menstrual Hygiene Day

Central Chronicle News
Bhilai, May 28: On the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, a state level event was organized by the Swachh Bharat Mission (rural) to raise awareness among the general public. Abhilasha Anand and Rupesh Rathore, State Advisors, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), imparted training in the program. The program included all the Self Help Groups working on the theme of World Menstrual Hygiene along with the staff of all the districts of Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural).
In Durg district, a total of 190 self-help groups are working on the subject of World Menstrual Day. Two self-help groups were invited to share their experiences, in which Lakshmi Self-Help Group, President- Sushila Thakur, Gram Panchayat Puraii, Janpad Panchayat Durg and Mahila Commando Committee President Pramila Sangde, Village Tarrighat, Janpad Panchayat Patan joined and shared their experience.
Sharing her experience Sushila Thakur said that her group has been working for the last 2 years. Along with working in own village, another 10 to 15 gram panchayats have been covered where the women were made given training on menstruation and hygiene. Free sanitary pads are being distributed to adolescent girls in the village. So far, more than 50 thousand sanitary pads have been distributed. This self-help group has been awarded first place in the district and second in the state under Swachhta Puraskar.
Pramila Sangde revealed that her committee has been working for the last 4 years. The self-help groups here too along with working in their own village covered about 10-15 gram panchayats in and around their villages. She informed that initially women used to feel shy when talking about menstruation.
Regular meetings and orientation programmes were held for adolescent girls and women and door-to-door contact was also conducted to update them. Presently both men and women talk openly on this subject. The parents themselves discuss this topic with their children and accompany them to the doctor for advice. Sanitary pads are being used by teenager girls in school and pregnant women in Anganwadi.
100% sanitary pad is being used by women and girls in the village. So far 2 lakh sanitary pads have been sold by the group. This has also given economic support to the women of the group. Their village has been declared as World Menstrual Free Village.
At the program, UNICEF and WaterAid Institution officials gave training to those who attended the meeting.