“Investment and action is necessary for menstrual hygiene and health”
On the occasion of International Menstrual Hygiene Day, an online discussion titled ‘Women’s Health and Social Thought’ was jointly organized by Sahasi Kanya and Duranta Foundation on Friday morning. Ananya 18 Prabha- Jagannath University branch was in special collaboration with this event.
Share-Net Bangladesh’s former content writer, Nujhat Jahan Khan spoke about gender inequality of women in society and the various taboos of the society on menstrual uncleanliness. In her speech, she called not being able to talk openly about menstruation is in itself a big stigma. In addition, she highlighted how educational institutions and workplaces are not aware and equipped about the menstrual needs of women and girls. She also expressed her belief in the power of togetherness to mitigate all kinds of stigma regarding menstruation. She deliberately asked support from young entrepreneurs to introduce affordable, low-cost sanitary pads to ensure pads within the purchasing power of all kinds of earning person. She also expressed her concern with the inclusivity of all genders, including trans men and women while talking about periods, and urged not only to associate menstruation with the themes of womanhood and motherhood.
Discussing about the importance of menstrual well-being, Dr. Sahla Mahzabin expressed solidarity with the theme of International Menstrual Hygiene Day 2021 ‘more action and investment in menstrual hygiene and health now’ and talked about being more aware of cleanliness and health.She gave a presentation on why menstrual health is important and the various state and global policies and commitments. She discussed the need and method of proper disinfection of sanitary pads. She also discussed about the connection of menstrual health and mental health in detail.
In the end, the moderator and guests concluded the discussion by expressing their hope to build a society free from superstitions in people from all walks of life and build safer society in the presence of all gender.
The event was hosted by Reneka Ahmed Antu, Team Leader and Project Manager of ‘Empowering the Brave Girls’. Dr. Sahla Mahzabin, Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Dr. Sirajul Islam Khan Medical College, and SRHR Writer, Nujhat Jahan Khan, RedOrange Media and Communications were the guests. The ninety-minute-long discussion meeting was broadcasted live on Facebook via Zoom. Discussions were arranged for the audience to consult the doctor directly through comments and text messages on the organizers Facebook page.
The webinar is accessible from this link: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=511888583557247&ref=watch_permalink
Source: Daily Asian Age
