PROJECT
RED PRIDE
Puberty and menstrual health education in rural India
WHO / UNICEF JMP
“Menstrual health refers to ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in relation to the menstrual cycle.”
National Family Health Survey - 4
“More than 50% of the rural girls do not deploy hygiene practice during menstruation.”
World Bank
“A meta-analysis on the status of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls in India found that a quarter of the girls did not attend school during menstruation because of the lack of adequate toilets.”
National Health Mission - Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram
About 70% of mothers [in rural India] consider menstruation ‘dirty’.”
The World Bank, in its report, confirms that Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) enables women and girls to reach their full potential.
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Based on this report – and on many such similar findings - we are commissioning Project Red Pride, a pilot programme to test the outcome of education on puberty and menstrual health management practices on adolescent girls and young women in rural India.
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The primary objective of the project is to impart counselling, education, and training, in the local language, to pre-pubescent and pubescent girls, as well as to patients in a similar age group who have history of reproductive tract infections.
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The programme will be delivered by trained Health Advisors in coordination with qualified female doctors, and will include aspects like waste disposal management, often a contentious issue within rural households and communities.
OBJECTIVES
Woman Empowerment
1
PROJECT RED PRIDE
Empower women to study, work, and play without shame, stigma, or health implications
Menstrual Health Education
2
Address harmful preconceptions and practices related to menstruation, reducing risk of infections and improving overall sexual and reproductive health
Menstrual Hygiene Education
3
Demonstrate and promote the positive impact of hygiene practice during menstruation
Puberty Education
4
Educate the girl child on the physical and emotional changes that occur during puberty
Reduce Environmental Degradation
5
Promote use of patented copper-coated resuable sanitary pads to reduce plastic burden on the environment
Together, let's script a rural
menstrual health and hygiene movement
We are currently inviting expressions of interest from corporate entities, NGOs, and other organisations interested in participating in the project.