Arogyam – Awareness on women health and menstrual hygeine
Arogyam, a simple looking word, encapsulates in itself the story of every woman who had to put her life at stake due to lack of awareness and taboos about menstruation. According to the National Family Health Survey, about 50% of women aged 15-24 still use cloth for protection against menstruation.
This is the condition of majority of women in all rural areas, keeping this in mind, Aadhaar Nirman Foundation is running a program called Aarogyam in Ghorawal block of Sonbhadra district with CSR financial assistance from Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
In which a manufacturing unit has been set up for free distribution of Arogyam sanitary pads to promote health awareness and prevention of diseases caused by the use of clothes and to promote the use of clean sanitary pads among rural women.
Aspects of the Program
Women Health
The project intervention provides awareness to girls and women on the use of unhygienic menstrual practices, after which girls and women will be made aware of the complications towards their health.
Girls Education
Inadequate sanitary facilities affect girls’ experiences at school, causing to miss classes during their menstruation or even drop out. After getting project intervention in the Schools and Educational Institutes, girls and women will get aware about menstruation hygiene and will use safe method of practice.
Women Empowerment
Promoting menstrual health and hygiene is an important means for safeguarding women’s dignity, privacy, bodily integrity, and, consequently, their self efficacy. Awareness of Menstrual Health & Hygiene contributes to building an enabling environment of nondiscrimination and gender equality.
Environment
Every year, an average woman trashes about 150 kilograms of non biodegradable waste. Ensuring women and girls have access to sustainable and quality products, and improving the management of the disposal of menstrual products, can make a big difference to the environment.
Expected Results
Two Thousands (2000) adolescent girls and young women will receive support through proper knowledge, awareness and education on menstruation and related hygiene practices. This will enable the girls to attend school when they are menstruating.
Strengthening the school to take the initiative forward by maintaining interventions, spreading awareness and ownership among other students, as well as reaching out to the larger community through family and peer groups on issues related to safe menstrual hygiene practices.
Reach out to twenty thousand (20,000) students in twenty five (25) schools through intensive Menstrual Hygiene Management sessions, health screening camps, day celebration, IEC development etc.
Improve menstrual hygiene through better personal hygiene, the use of disposable low cost sanitary napkins and the proper disposal of sanitary napkins amongst students, adolescent girls and young women.
Strengthen behavior change in hygiene practices such as hand washing after defecation, storing water in closed containers and the disposal of waste in bins amongst students, adolescent girls and young women.
Raising awareness on UTI, menstrual hygiene and basic personal and household hygienic practices amongst the students, adolescent girls and young women. Increased school attendance of targeted girls supported by this project.