New Delhi:
A plea has been filed with the Supreme Court to instruct governments to provide free sanitary pads to girls studying in grades 6 to 12.
The plea has been advanced by Jaya Thakur through lawyers Varinder Kumar Sharma and Varun Thakur.
The petitioner said that adolescent women aged 11 to 18 from poor backgrounds face serious problems. “These are adolescent women who are neither equipped nor educated by the parents about menstruation and menstrual hygiene. The disadvantaged economic status and illiteracy leads to the prevalence of unsanitary and unhealthy practices with serious health consequences; increases stubbornness and leads ultimately to school drop-out,” according to the petitioner.
Henceforth, in the plea, the petitioner has sought to provide instructions to provide a separate girls’ toilet in all government, auxiliary and residential schools and to provide instructions to provide one cleaner in all government, auxiliary and residential schools to clean the toilets to make.
The plea was also intended to issue a summons or instructions in the form of a mandamus to the respondents to offer a three-stage awareness program i.e. firstly, spreading awareness about menstrual health and breaking through the taboos surrounding it; Second, the provision of adequate sanitation and subsidized or free sanitation products to women and young students, especially in disadvantaged areas; third, ensure an efficient and hygienic way of disposal of menstrual waste.
In India, the right to health derives from state policy directive principles and is an established right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, which guarantees the right to life and dignity, the petition says.
The ability to hygienically handle menstruation is fundamental to the dignity and well-being of women, especially in a democratic society. It is an integral part of basic hygiene, sanitation and reproductive health services. Inadequate menstrual hygiene endangers girls’ education, health and well-being.
Therefore, efforts to address these deficiencies should include providing sanitation and hygiene facilities, along with creating a stimulating social and physical environment that meets all menstrual-related needs, the petition says.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
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