Sensitivity for menstruating girls missing

Reicha Tanwar
Former director, Women’s Studies Research Centre, Kurukshetra University

Probably one of the most demeaning and insensitive incidents in an educational institution in recent times is the stripping of girl students after the discovery of a sanitary napkin in the toilet on the campus. One such incident was reported at a government school in Fazilka in November 2018 and the more recent one in a private university in Bathinda last month.

The issue in the second case was that a girl had dumped a used sanitary napkin in the washroom. During the search to find out which of the girls was menstruating, the students were stripped with the help of lady security guards. Action against the wardens and others was taken by the authorities only when about 600 students protested and demanded action. Subsequently, the action that followed was the termination of the services of teachers and security guards concerned. 

In the previous incident, where 15 girls of Class VII were stripped by female teachers to find out who was wearing a sanitary pad, the two teachers involved were transferred. 

The fact that these incidents have taken place in educational institutions having educated teachers and administrators is extremely disheartening. How gender-insensitive women teachers can be towards the menstrual cycle, a natural process linked with a woman’s body and the cultural practices still being followed by a large part of our society and families. Despite the change in societal norms and cultural practices brought about by education, there has not been any significant change in the people’s attitude towards menstruation. 

The 2015-16 National Family Health Survey (NFHS) found that only 57.6 per cent women/girls in India are currently using sanitary napkins: of the rural women, only 48.5 per cent, and of the urban, 77.3 per cent.

During a survey of sanitary napkin usage in government schools in rural Haryana, it was found that more than 70 per cent of the girls do not have access to napkins. All kinds of unhygienic practices, including old cloth which is washed and recycled, are followed. The NFHS 2015-16 further revealed that 62 per cent of the Indian girls/women in the age group of 15 to 24 use cloth as protection when they menstruate. It also found that a majority of the girls used the same cloth for the entire day since there is no facility available, coupled with the shame associated with menses. 

Such poor menstrual hygiene not only affects physical health, giving rise to infections, but also social and mental well-being of a girl. Repeated infections in young girls lead to severe reproductive tract infections in later age. According to a UNICEF study, old rags, husks, dried leaves, grass or newspapers are also used. This study mentions that 41 per cent of adolescents hide their cloth in their room, 22 per cent on the roof and 11 per cent share the cloth with others. 

These practices have resulted in a culture of silence around the subject with mothers not discussing the issue with their young daughters.

Adolescence is a period of great change in a child’s life, which includes physical, psychological, emotional and sexual changes. Puberty, resulting from hormonal changes, requires sensitive handling and understanding from the family members as well as the educational institution. 

A majority of our students in small towns and villages are possibly first-generation or second-generation literates. And the traditional understanding that women’s bodies are impure during the time of menstruation is deeply rooted in their psyche. Entering the kitchen or a place of worship is considered taboo. There are even beliefs that if a menstruating woman touches a pickle jar, it would get spoilt!

In such a scenario where secrecy and silence about the subject is the norm, it becomes all the more imperative that educational institutions be menstruation-friendly spaces where girls are comfortable. The behaviour of the teachers and wardens of the school and the university speaks volumes about our education system. Their attitude and conduct reflects upon what they have learnt about educational psychology and how young minds need to be handled. Whether such persons are really fit to be teachers is a big question mark. Does this act by the teachers not amount to sexual harassment and should be covered under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013 or the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012? 

One can imagine the significant psychological effect that this incident would have had on the young girls, including suffering from shame and low self-esteem. It is also the duty of the managers of educational institutions to ensure that the campuses not only have women-friendly rest rooms but also safe and hygienic disposal facilities for sanitary napkins. 

As is seen across India in rural and semi-rural educational institutions, there is a heavy dropout rate of girls once they attain puberty. A survey has revealed that 30 per cent of the girls drop out of school after they start menstruating. This kind of cultural neglect of menstrual hygiene is reflected in policies as well because a large number of adolescent girls (between 12 and 18 years) miss five days of school each month because of lack of toilets for girls.

The absence of adolescent sex education and healthy menstrual practices and lack of access to low-cost sanitary napkins and their disposal leads to severe health implications in later life. Having a well-defined policy on the subject should be as much a priority with the policy planners as vaccination and inoculation in children. Each violent incident in recent times in schools and colleges reminds us how the system is failing to ensure the mental well-being of the staff and students. There is a dire need for sensitivity and empathy-building for the staff and faculty of educational institutions.