Question : Subsidised Sanitary Napkins

(a) whether the Government proposes to distribute free or subsidised sanitary napkins to girls
in schools so that they do not dropout because of lack of access to hygienic products;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has carried out any survey to assess the number of school days
missed by girls because of the lack of access to hygienic sanitary products or due to
disease from the use of unhygienic sanitary products; and
(d) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government under the Beti Bachao Beti
Padhao scheme to minimise school dropouts post puberty?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ''NISHANK'')

(a) & (b): To address the need of menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls residing
primarily in rural areas, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is implementing the
Menstrual Hygiene Scheme. Under this scheme, funds are provided to States/UTs through
National Health Missions as per proposals received from them in their Programme
Implementation Plans and for decentralized procurement of sanitary napkin packs for making
provision to adolescent girls at subsidized rates.
This scheme encompasses the following:
<pre>
? Increasing awareness among adolescent girls on Menstrual Hygiene;
? Improving access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins by adolescent girls
specially in rural areas;
? Ensuring safe disposal of Sanitary Napkins in an environmentally friendly manner;
? Provision of funds to Accredited Social Health Activists(ASHAs) to hold monthly
meetings in Anganwadi centres or similar platforms with adolescents to discuss issues
related to menstrual hygiene;
? ASHAs across the country are trained and play a significant role in promotion of use
and distribution of sanitary napkins.
Under integrated Scheme of Samagra Shiksha of Department of School Education &
Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, State-specific special projects are
funded to enhance retention of girl at upper primary and secondary level, such as Adolescent
Health Programme, Programmes on Menstrual Health and Hygiene, provision of sanitary pad
vending machines and incinerators in schools.
</pre>
(c): There is no National level survey data available on this.
(d): Under its Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, the Ministry of Women & Child
Development sanctions Rs. 5 lakh per district per annum to the select 405 districts to carry
out various planned activities for motivation of the girls to continue their education through
the various interventions of the Department of School Education & Literacy viz. re-enrolment
of drop-out girls in secondary schools, protocols for girl-child friendly schools, institutes
district level awards for felicitating girl achievers and special awards for meritorious girls etc.
Through these interventions, the Scheme envisages to minimize dropouts of girl students and
facilitate them in their higher studies.
*****