Considering the affordability and accessibility challenges of sanitary pads in remote schools and nunneries, the education ministry will now supply free sanitary pads to 107 remote schools and 17 nunneries starting this year. The ministry launched the distribution of free sanitary pads initiative yesterday. The initiative is funded by UNICEF.
The distribution of free sanitary pads will be done phase wise. The free access to sanitary pads will help young girls in remote schools to not miss classes. A study conducted by the UNICEF and the education ministry found that 43 per cent of adolescent girls skip classes and other activities due to lack of menstrual hygiene management facilities at schools. And this has led to a negative impact on their right to education.
“Educating our younger generation in schools about menstruation is an effective long term solution. Our younger girls and boys are the agents of change to bring about this social change in their homes and community. In addition to this, sanitary pads should be made available to all girls,” Deki Tshering, Red Dot campaign coordinator, from education ministry said.
The launch of the initiative also marked the end of the red dot online campaign on facebook, which the education ministry initiated to observe menstrual hygiene day. The campaign helped receive visibility on menstruation.
The Red Dot campaign promoted on the responsible and safe disposal of sanitary pads as disposal has always been a challenge not just in Bhutan but globally. The plastic used in disposable sanitary napkins are not bio-degradable and lead to environmental hazards. And the impact is more evident because of the unorganised ways of collection. So for this, the red dot campaign encouraged women and girls to take any eco-friendly bag or paper and mark it red for proper disposal. This will help segregate menstrual waste for waste collectors.
Approximately 208 million pads are disposed of in Bhutan, considering the number of sanitary pads used per menstruation cycle by women and girls in a year.
As a pilot project, the education ministry also handed over two sanitary pad burning incinerators to two schools in Thimphu.
