Diez niñas mantienen a cientos de niñas en la escuela en la India.
Their bright blue vests signal their positions on the school Water and Sanitation Committee, but these girls are part of another important group – the Menstrual Hygiene Committee. Their aim is for the whole school to understand menstruation and menstrual hygiene management.
En la India, 71% de niñas report having no knowledge of what menstruation is until their first period. Once their periods come, 70% of females say they can’t afford pads, so many use reusable cloth instead – which is not often washed with soap or safe water. Many girls also lack privacy to change their pads during the school day. These factors, among many others, result in 23% of girls ages 12 to 18 abandonando la escuela.
El Comité de Higiene Menstrual de la Escuela Secundaria Badamathura Haripriya en Patharpratima, Bengala Occidental, está comprometido a poner fin a esta tendencia.
While their mandate on the Water and Sanitation Committee is to instill the importance of safe drinking water, toilets, and hygiene for the school’s 976 students, these girls are bringing an eye to what female students need: private washrooms, sanitary pads, and an incinerator to dispose of pads.
El Comité de Higiene Menstrual se reúne al inicio de cada año escolar para compartir con sus compañeras lo que deben hacer cuando les llega la regla y se pone a disposición de las niñas del colegio que necesiten hablar sobre los cambios que están ocurriendo en su cuerpo.
The committee’s support gives girls what they need to manage their periods, allowing them to come to school every day. When asked what more they might need, girls at the school say, "Nothing! We have it all."
The changes these ten girls have ushered in is obvious, and their influence is widespread. They’re respected by their classmates for bringing attention to a subject that makes girls, boys, and even grown-ups blush. As classmates walk by, all eyes are on the girls in the bright blue vests. And the girls’ heads are held high – they know they’re impacting the future.
