A 16-year-old Class 11 student at a government school in Bareilly was refused a sanitary pad by the school authorities after her period started during an exam on 24th January, 2024. Her family stated that she was left standing outside the exam hall and, after waiting for more than an hour, she did not receive a pad. She was ultimately sent home, stained with blood on her clothes, after the principal denied her entry into the exam room.  The girl’s family has filed a complaint to the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) regarding the incident. They have also sent the copies to the Women and Child Welfare Department and Uttar Pradesh Women Commission.  The DIOS has formed a two member team to look into the matter and they have informed that the school was equipped with Sanitary Pads. The Principal of the school has said that she had asked the girl to wait as she was busy with some work at that time. But by the time she got free from work, the girl had left the school premises. But such a revert from the Principal seems absurd as it would even take a single minute to give a sanitary pad to a girl. 

We know that 40% of young women miss their school when they are menstruating and one more name has been added. This girl’s father claims that his daughter is traumatized after the incident and now this young woman refuses to go to school. Another such traumatising incident also took place in 2020 at the Shree Sahajanand Girls Institute, Bhuj. This institute is run by Swaminarayan Sect, a wealthy and conservative Hindu religious group. Here a complaint was filed by some people at the hostel that there were some menstruating women who weren’t following the rules. Under these guidelines, women are prohibited from accessing the temple and kitchen and are forbidden from contacting other students while they are menstruating. During meals, they must sit apart from others, wash their own dishes, and in the classroom, they are required to sit at the back bench. When this complaint was filed, to prove themselves not guilty some young women had to strip in front of their female teachers to prove that they were not menstruating.  The students described this incident as very painful, and traumatic. 

Whenever a girl faces shame or is deprived of essential menstrual hygiene, the society lets her down. Menstruation is a natural process and should never be a source of shame; disregarding her dignity during these times infringes on her rights. We need to eliminate the stigma, and educational institutions should tackle this systemic problem by providing access to pads, private areas, and empathetic support. Various programmes are conducted by NGOs and Schools to educate young children about menstruation and sanitary napkins. Despite various efforts being made, such incidents show us that India is still battling with the shame of period stains. 

It is time to realise that menstruation is a biological process and there is no shame related to it. In March 2024, a petition was filed by Jaya Thakur, a Congress leader and Social Activist to the Supreme Court seeking directions to both Centre and State government about keeping Sanitary Pads in the school premises for girls Class 6-12 and separate female toilets at all government, government aided and private schools. In November 2024, the Supreme Court approved this order and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare framed rules regarding menstrual hygiene of female students. The central government aimed  to eradicate detrimental social norms and encourage safe menstrual hygiene practices, while also facilitating eco-friendly management of menstrual waste. Such incidents are a significant setback to the policy making skills of the government and their execution process. 

Despite such efforts by the government we witness that the facilities aren’t reaching the needy.

In many parts of India women use husk, clothes, ash during their periods to not get stained. These products cause swelling, rashes and even itches in certain cases. Even with extensive awareness campaigns, menstruation remains a taboo in India. Women who are menstruating are deemed impure and compelled to endure strict limitations. They are prohibited from attending social and religious events and are not allowed in temples, shrines, or even kitchens.  Women of certain tribal groups such as the Gonds, and Madia live in menstrual huts during periods. These huts are located on the outskirts of the village and this can also be termed as menstrual exile. They stay there for a period of five days, and food, water is provided to them by their female family members. These huts are made so that these women stay away from the men of the society during their period. 

Well this is not the first time that women have been humiliated on account of periods. The duty of eliminating period poverty lies with the government and development of public infrastructure.

Young women are not provided with sanitary pads, so when some luxury feminists talk about usage of menstrual cups, it seems ironic. We know that a significant portion of the country lacks access to current sanitary choices, they do not have access to clean water, clean washrooms and privacy. Certain people say that the government should start distributing menstrual cups instead of pads, which are non-biodegradable. Such ideas become challenging to accept as it is challenging to persuade women to use cups that are linked to stigma and are not as readily accessible or affordable. Even in developed nations, where many individuals may have access to it, we neglect to note that some menstruators could experience vaginismus or past sexual trauma that prevents them from using cups. Given this information, it is somewhat classist and ableist for these individuals to position luxury menstruators as the symbol of rescuing the planet.  

Thus, women in India need access to affordable and hygienic menstrual products like sanitary pads, along with proper menstrual hygiene education, privacy to manage their periods, and facilities for safe disposal, as many still face challenges due to cultural stigma and limited availability of such products, especially in rural areas; this includes access to clean water and toilets for proper hygiene practices. It also becomes the responsibility of schools and colleges to create an environment where women do not feel hesitant to talk about the onset of their period or certain issues if they are facing periods. The government also needs to play an active role in this and petitions like Jaya Thakur’s should be taken into consideration. 

We are living in the world of AI. Times are changing, if a girl is still facing shame related to her period, then we fail as a country. We also need to address the systemic issues of period poverty and stigma. India can take significant strides toward ensuring that no girl is forced to miss school or face humiliation because of her natural biological processes. Only through sustained efforts and commitment can we hope to see a future where menstruation is recognized as a normal part of life, free from shame and discrimination.