Against the backdrop of a Supreme Court order, the Directorate of Education (DoE) has directed all schools under its jurisdiction to establish Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) corners within their premises.
In a set of directions issued to school managements, the DoE stated that every school must set up MHM corners equipped with, among other things, spare innerwear, spare uniforms, disposable bags and other essential materials to address menstruation-related exigencies.
“Every school must provide Oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins manufactured in compliance with the ASTM D-6954 standards free of cost. Such sanitary napkins shall be made readily accessible to girl students, preferably within toilet premises through sanitary napkin vending machines or, where such installation is not immediately feasible, at a designated place or with a designated authority within the school,” the DoE said.
The Directorate further stated that every school must have functional, gender-segregated toilets with usable water connectivity. “School toilets shall be equipped with functional handwashing facilities, with soap and water available at all times,” it said.
Each toilet unit must also be fitted with a covered waste bin for the disposal of sanitary material, and schools must ensure cleanliness and regular maintenance of these bins at all times.
“It is enjoined upon all school managements in the State to adhere to the directives of the Supreme Court of India for the health and hygiene of students,” the DoE said.
The Supreme Court in January ruled that the right to menstrual hygiene is an integral part of the right to life and the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution, and issued a series of binding directions to states, Union Territories and schools to ensure dignity, health and equality for girls and women.
“Before parting with the issue, we want to say that this pronouncement is not just for stakeholders of the legal system. It is also meant for classrooms where girls hesitate to ask for help. It is for teachers who want to help but are not able to due to lack of resources. Progress is measured by how we protect the vulnerable,” Justices J. B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan said while pronouncing the judgment.
