Sanitary pads will now be available to the school girls of Maharastra with Rs 5 per pack. The initiative is headed by local Self Help Groups. This news was declared by Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde.
This is a move that came when the GST failed to exempt sanitary napkins from tax.
Sanitary napkins do not come cheap. This is a truth that is known by many. Though possible by some but many women still struggle to buy even the cheapest of the napkins every year. Not to forget there are also those who cannot afford the napkins and goes back to using clothes, that is both troublesome and unhygienic.
This initiative is named as “Asmita” which means pride and is especially started for the school-going girls. Through this initiative, the schoolgirls will be taught to take care of themselves during their menstrual cycles. Also, they will be taught that this is not something to be ashamed of. The sanitary napkins will only be available on the school premises.
Indeed it is a much-needed step where affording the basic commodities for menstruation is still a big issue. The initiative also aims at teaching a better personal hygiene.
Should similar initiatives take place in the other parts of the country too?