<p class="bodytext">The Supreme Court’s ruling that the right to menstrual hygiene and health is a fundamental right, integral to the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, is significant in a country where the subject is not addressed with the seriousness it deserves. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued a series of directions to states and Union Territories and schools, both in the public and private sectors, to provide free biodegradable sanitary napkins, separate toilets, clean water and safe disposal facilities, and to set up menstrual hygiene corners for girls. Financial constraints should not be used as an excuse for non-compliance with the directions, the Court said. It noted that the denial of menstrual hygiene facilities amount to a violation of bodily autonomy. Describing the situation as “menstrual poverty”, the apex court held that the State will be accountable for non-compliance by government-run schools and errant private schools could be de-recognised.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The order will benefit millions of young women in the country, especially in the 10-19 age group, who form at least a third of all menstruating women. An estimated 36 crore women are in the menstruating age in India, most of whom do not have access to essential hygiene. Many in the younger age groups discontinue their education because of inadequate facilities in schools. They are forced into early marriages and motherhood, especially in rural areas. A national policy relating to menstrual hygiene for school-going girls prescribes norms and guidelines but they are hardly followed. The Supreme Court has done well to shift the responsibility of implementing the directions to governments and school authorities.</p>.Karnataka Education Department notifies 12 days of menstrual leave for women employees: All you need to know.<p class="bodytext">Menstruation continues to carry stigma in many parts of the country. Despite decades of efforts to dispel the misreadings in society, it presents social and psychological challenges to women. The top court declaring the right to menstrual hygiene as a fundamental right signals a major shift because the right has been made judicially enforceable. This is a ruling which aligns with international practices and resolutions by the United Nations Human Rights Council calling for universal access to affordable, safe, and clean menstrual hygiene products and facilities. The Court may have spelled out its position on the matter with clarity and force, but implementation comes with its own set of challenges. Translating the Court’s directions to tangible results will take extensive public campaigns, sensitisation of teachers and parents, support extended by counsellors, involvement of women’s agencies, and curriculum integration.</p>
<p class="bodytext">The Supreme Court’s ruling that the right to menstrual hygiene and health is a fundamental right, integral to the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, is significant in a country where the subject is not addressed with the seriousness it deserves. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued a series of directions to states and Union Territories and schools, both in the public and private sectors, to provide free biodegradable sanitary napkins, separate toilets, clean water and safe disposal facilities, and to set up menstrual hygiene corners for girls. Financial constraints should not be used as an excuse for non-compliance with the directions, the Court said. It noted that the denial of menstrual hygiene facilities amount to a violation of bodily autonomy. Describing the situation as “menstrual poverty”, the apex court held that the State will be accountable for non-compliance by government-run schools and errant private schools could be de-recognised.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The order will benefit millions of young women in the country, especially in the 10-19 age group, who form at least a third of all menstruating women. An estimated 36 crore women are in the menstruating age in India, most of whom do not have access to essential hygiene. Many in the younger age groups discontinue their education because of inadequate facilities in schools. They are forced into early marriages and motherhood, especially in rural areas. A national policy relating to menstrual hygiene for school-going girls prescribes norms and guidelines but they are hardly followed. The Supreme Court has done well to shift the responsibility of implementing the directions to governments and school authorities.</p>.Karnataka Education Department notifies 12 days of menstrual leave for women employees: All you need to know.<p class="bodytext">Menstruation continues to carry stigma in many parts of the country. Despite decades of efforts to dispel the misreadings in society, it presents social and psychological challenges to women. The top court declaring the right to menstrual hygiene as a fundamental right signals a major shift because the right has been made judicially enforceable. This is a ruling which aligns with international practices and resolutions by the United Nations Human Rights Council calling for universal access to affordable, safe, and clean menstrual hygiene products and facilities. The Court may have spelled out its position on the matter with clarity and force, but implementation comes with its own set of challenges. Translating the Court’s directions to tangible results will take extensive public campaigns, sensitisation of teachers and parents, support extended by counsellors, involvement of women’s agencies, and curriculum integration.</p>
