New Delhi: The central government gave an explanation in the Lok Sabha about the menstrual hygiene practices in rural areas.
T. Ravikumar, DMK MP from Villupuram constituency, said, “Is the scheme being implemented to improve menstrual hygiene practices in rural areas… Are Asha workers also involved in the implementation of this scheme? What are their strategies to create awareness? Do the organizations involved in spreading the objectives of the scheme face any challenges?” He had asked.
Responding to this, Union Minister Bharati Praveen Pawar said, “The central government is implementing a program to improve menstrual hygiene in the states/union territories for adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years. The main objectives of the program are to increase awareness about menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls and to make high quality sanitary napkins easily available to adolescent girls. .
The scheme is being implemented by the National Health Movement through the State Program Implementation Program (PIP) on the basis of proposals received from the States to ensure safe disposal of sanitary napkins in an environmentally friendly manner. Based on proposals received from across the country, sanitary napkins are distributed to adolescent girls in villages through accredited social welfare activists, Asha.
Infrastructure is being facilitated by ASHA staff to manage menstrual hygiene under the National Health Mission and ensure smooth implementation of the programme. ASHA staff hold monthly meetings with adolescent girls in their respective areas to focus on menstrual hygiene issues. “They conduct home visits to promote menstrual hygiene among women who cannot attend monthly meetings and encourage attendance at future meetings,” he explained.
Later, MP Ravikumar commented on this, “Union government claims that 10 lakh people are working in Asha scheme. But Asha scheme is not implemented everywhere across India. In Tamil Nadu, the state government is implementing a scheme to provide free nappies. 6 packs are given to women every three months. It is implemented by Anganwadi workers under the supervision of teachers. It does not seem that there is any contribution of the Union Government”, he said.
