Menstrual hygiene day is marked on May 28 every year. The day is celebrated to mark the importance of menstrual hygiene, break the stigma around periods, raise awareness and change the negative mind-set.
There is so much misconception and ignorance about menstruation in the society that what should be a thing of joy and pride to the girl/woman becomes a thing of shame because of misinformation on the issue. Parents and care givers shy away from educating girls about the hygiene, management and disposal of menstrual waste. As girls grow, they go through many changes due to hormonal changes in the body and they become withdrawn during menstruation due to the misconception ascribed to women during the period. Participants confirmed this to be true and were all encouraged to always talk to their girls about menstruation and its management. On the occasion, CLHEI in collaboration with Hope Space Initiative took the awareness to Federal Housing IDP camp to raise awareness and sensitize IDPs on the issue.
PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES OF THE ACTIVITY
- To create awareness and sensitize the IDPs on the importance of menstrual hygiene.
- To emphasize on the importance of practicing menstrual hygiene.
- To create awareness on the importance of breaking and changing the social norms around women and girls on menstrual hygiene.
- Distribution of sanitary pads.
- Conduct Theatre for Development (TfD) on menstruation
CLHEI with the collaborative effort of Hope Space Initiative was able to reach out to 212 beneficiaries from the distribution of menstrual pads to all female participants and clothes to pregnant and lactating women. Due to the collaboration between CLHEI and Hope Space Initiative it was possible to reach out to 212 participants as against the initial 100 participants with messages and key notes on menstrual hygiene and its managements
| Gender | 12 – 18 | 18 – 50 | Total |
| Male | 33 | 15 | 48 |
| Female | 63 | 101 | 164 |
| Pregnant Women | 0 | 12 | |
| Lactating Women | 0 | 63 | |
| Total | 96 | 116 | 212 |
