Menstrual dignity must be society's shared responsibility: Experts

BHubaneshwar, menstruum is a cancel component of life-time and smart set must create an environment where girls and women can speak openly about menstrual health with dignity and confidence, Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Chairperson Babita Patra said on Thursday.Addressing the Menstrual Health and Hygiene Conclave 2026 here, Patra stressed that no girl or woman should feel excluded, embarrassed or unsafe because of menstruation and said "a compassionate and informed society is the foundation of menstrual dignity for all".Marking Menstrual Hygiene Day 2026, the Odisha Menstrual Health and Hygiene Alliance , led by Aaina in collaboration with UNICEF, organised a state-level multi-stakeholder dialogue on the theme "Rising Together: Transforming Menstrual Health as a Fundamental Right."Speaking at the conclave, Odisha Additional Director General of Police Shyni S said there are still significant challenges in ensuring girls' and women's access to safe water, clean toilets and sanitary pads across the country whether in schools, colleges, workplaces or even during travel on roadsides and public spaces."These are not luxuries but basic necessities that must be guaranteed so that every woman and girl can manage her menstrual cycle with safety, comfort and dignity," she said.She also questioned the idea of celebrating the first period, saying that such practices are often accompanied by exclusionary and discriminatory social customs.Shyni said celebration without dignity, freedom and respect has little meaning and stressed that women themselves must support one another as they are in a better position to understand these experiences.She also called for involving boys and men in conversations around menstruation, saying empathy and awareness among all genders are essential to dismantle stigma and build a more equal and dignified society.Prasanta Kumar Dash, Chief Field Officer, UNICEF Odisha, noted that taboos and restrictions surrounding menstruation continue to persist across many parts of the country despite increased access to sanitary products. He said normalising menstruation in society must begin with open conversations at home, in schools, workplaces and communities."Odisha's Khushi scheme and similar initiatives are important steps toward improving menstrual hygiene but breaking stigma requires collective social change," Dash said.Noting that menstrual health is closely linked to healthcare, safety, equality, self-respect and human dignity, Patra also called for collective efforts to break harmful taboos and discriminatory practices that continue in many parts of the country."Schools, hostels, anganwadi centres and healthcare institutions must become safe and period-friendly spaces with proper sanitation, healthcare support and access to menstrual products," Patra said, adding that such efforts are directly connected to the goals of good health, quality education, gender equality, clean sanitation and reduced inequalities.Professor Shreepad Karmalkar, Director of IIT Bhubaneswar, said transforming menstrual health and hygiene into a fundamental right is a collective call to action rooted in dignity, equality and human well-being."Health, hygiene, dignity and well-being are rights that belong to every individual," he said, adding that menstrual health is intrinsic to the constitutional rights to life, dignity and privacy under Article 21.Karmalkar said IIT Bhubaneswar, along with its Research and Entrepreneurship Park, has emerged as a leading centre for menstrual health and hygiene innovation through collaborations with UNICEF, the Odisha Menstrual Health and Hygiene Alliance and other partners.He said the institute has introduced progressive measures such as allowing female students two days of work from home during menstruation, launched innovation hackathons and awareness projects, and become the first IIT in the country to recycle used menstrual products.Dr Saumya Uma, Professor and Director, Centre for Women's Rights at O P Jindal Global Law School, said menstrual health is "not only a health issue but it is also an issue of dignity, equality, inclusion and intersectionality".She said discrimination against menstruating persons undermines the constitutional promise of the right to life with dignity under Article 21 and noted that restrictions imposed on menstruating women and girls are rooted in notions of "purity and pollution".Referring to the Supreme Court's Dr Jaya Thakur versus Union of India judgment of 2026, Uma said menstrual hygiene management has now been elevated from a welfare concern to an enforceable constitutional entitlement linked to the rights to life, education, privacy, autonomy and substantive equality.Speakers at the conclave also highlighted continuing challenges in access to safe water, clean toilets and sanitary products across schools, colleges, workplaces and public spaces, stressing that these basic facilities are essential to ensure women and girls can manage menstruation with safety, comfort and dignity.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.