The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) and a national model for managing menstrual hygiene for school-age girls that will be adopted by all states and union territories. A bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala also directed the states and UTs to submit to the secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW), within four weeks, their menstrual hygiene management strategies and plans being implemented, either with funds provided by the central government or through their own, to the Mission Steering Group (MSG) of the National Health Mission (NHM). The bench appointed the Secretary, MHFW to facilitate coordination with state governments and UTs in order to re-evaluate the guidelines. It also directed all states and UTs to notify their respective territories of the appropriate ratio of girls’ toilets for residential and non-residential schools, as well as steps to be taken to ensure low-cost sanitary napkins and vending machines in schools. The order came in response to a petition filed by Congress MP Jaya Thakur seeking free sanitary napkins and separate toilets in all government and residential schools. It claimed that insufficient menstrual hygiene management options were a major barrier to education, as many girls dropped out due to a lack of sanitation facilities. The petition emphasised the lack of access to sanitary methods for females aged 11 to 16 years. According to the ministry, menstruation and menstrual practises are hampered in India by taboos and socio-cultural restrictions for women and adolescent girls, as well as limited access to sanitary hygiene products and a lack of safe sanitary facilities.
Post Your Comments