A report by NGO Sulabh International reveals that female students in India are fearful of using school toilets during menstruation due to a lack of water, soap, sanitation, and missing doors.
The report states that school girls are forced to stay home during menstrual cycles, with distance from home being less of a barrier than the lack of menstrual hygiene management facilities. School girls often choose to stay at home due to a lack of menstrual hygiene supplies at school premises including pads or sanitary napkins. This results in a choice between school facilities and home comfort and privacy during the period days.
According to survey data, girls are afraid to use school restrooms when they are menstruating because there isn't enough water, soap, or sanitation, and there are missing doors, taps, and even dustbins.
According to the Sulabh International report, school girls end up not going to school on their menstrual days which results in absenteeism, or may miss up to 60 days of school or attend only partially out of discomfort.
According to the NGO, the study involved a sample size of 4,839 women and girls in 22 blocks and 84 villages covering diverse ethnicities in the remote areas of the country. It was carried out in 14 districts of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu.
The report urged that both workplace restrooms and community restrooms need to be equipped with running water, washing areas, and bathing cubicles.
The report suggests that improved toilets for menstrual hygiene management, including separate facilities for school girls, can enhance their participation in education and employment. The report suggests proper toilet construction and regular water supply in homes, public spaces, and workplaces, highlighting the impact of community and family taboos, patriarchal constraints, and lack of disposable income on women's menstrual hygiene.
The report by Sulabh International reveals that taboos, myths, and social norms on menstruation in India compromise women's dignity and voice over their health. Around 7 per cent of women skip consultations for intimate health issues, 17 per cent claimed medical facilities are far away and over 91 per cent said lack female doctors.
