Needless to say, Despite menstruation being an experience lived by as many as 355 million girls and women in India, approximately only 18% of them currently use sanitary napkins with approximately 82% of women often reverting to unhygienic and unsafe alternatives such as old cloths, rags, hay and even ash.
The reasons behind this staggering statistic include decades of archaic attitudes and stigma surrounding menstruation, the lack of choice and accessibility for safe and affordable sanitary products and the limited awareness of the importance of proper menstrual hygiene management; even amongst the 18%, some are still unaware of maintaining proper genital hygiene and the correct usage of the product, often overusing sanitary napkins.
The Niine Movement, an ambitious five-year plan aimed at raising awareness on the importance of menstrual hygiene and tackling the taboos associated with menstruation, officially launched at the inaugural Menstrual Awareness Conclave in Delhi, India to mark International Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28th May 2018. The Menstrual Awareness Conclave is supported by India’s Pad Man, Akshay Kumar and Shabana Azmi, who graced the event as its Chief Guest. The event took place at Hotel ITC Maurya, which includes several activists, who participated on a discussion made on the same.
As a result of the unwillingness to discuss menstruation, there is a subsequent culture of silence and shame which has left women and girls with no choice but to partake in unsafe menstrual practices, frequently resulting in urinary and reproductive tract infections, stress, and anxiety. In some cases, this has even resulted in girls and women becoming victims of gender-based violence, including harassment, physical assault, and/or rape; this vulnerability is exacerbated by limited access to WASH facilities, desire to hide evidence of menstruation, and lack of sanitation in homes.
The Menstrual Awareness Conclave was graced by film personalities, academics, policymakers, government officials, activists, medical experts, business stalwarts, NGOs, and thought-leaders, to discuss the impact that stigma and taboos have had on menstruation, which have held girls and women back for centuries from achieving their potential and living a life of respect and dignity.
Amongst the high profile attendees,Indian actor Akshay Kumar, who’s most recent award-winning film Pad Man, tackled the issue of menstrual taboo. He recently began his support of the Niine Movement with the launch of the nationwide campaign #18to82 to bridge the gap between the minority that are able to adopt hygienic practices and the large majority who are not able to make an informed choice in these matters.
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