Free Sanitary Pads Highlights:
- Punjab government will provide free sanitary pads to women in Punjab.
- This initiative is taken under ‘Udaan Scheme’.
- A total of 1.23 pads will be distributed to unprivileged women .
Under the ‘Udaan Scheme,’ the Punjab government would offer free sanitary pads to needy women every month at all 27,314 Anganwadi centers across the state.
Razia Sultana, Minister of Social Security and Women and Child Development, recently launched the scheme in Malerkotla.
Who will distribute sanitary pads?
Minister Razia Sultana revealed this by, saying that the government has made several efforts to empower women in Punjab. All Anganwadi Centers in the state will now supply nine sanitary pads free of charge to underprivileged ladies each month.
The total of 1.23 crore pads?
In the initial phase, each Anganwadi Centre will cover around 50 females, with 13.65 lakh beneficiaries receiving sanitary pads each month. This programme will provide a total of 1.23 crore pads.
On this occasion, the minister also ordered that the Sanitary Pad Record Proforma be uploaded to the M-Seva programme.
Action is taken to empower women!
A women’s shop has also been established in the Malerkotla district, where females can sell indigenous and handcrafted things to empower women.
Increasing female sex ratio
According to Razia Sultana, the state administration is also working hard to improve the girl-to-boy ratio in Punjab.
The parents of the girls are being honoured as part of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ programme, and newborn girls are being given critical goods kits. During a special occasion at Malerkotla, Minister Sultana herself distributed such packages to 100 baby girls.
DPS Kharbanda, Director of Social Security and Women and Child Development, said that the social security department has created a jingle to raise public awareness about the importance of increasing the sex ratio of females. He stated that this educational jingle would be broadcast on a variety of venues around the state.
Why it’s necessary to use sanitary pads?
The question that arises here is why is it to use sanitary pads? Here are some of the major hygienic problems a women can face. And this is why it is advisable to use sanitary napkins .
Infections of the urogenital tract
Poor menstrual hygiene is connected to several infection risks. Irise International, a non-profit dedicated to providing long-term solutions to girls who face difficulties at school due to menstruation, cites an Indian study that claims women who use anything other than a disposable pad are more likely to develop urogenital infections or non-sexually transmitted infections.
Infection with yeast
It is usually a good idea and a healthy habit to wash hands after changing sanitary napkins. Those who do not do so, on the other hand, may develop a yeast infection or possibly Hepatitis B.
Infection of the urinary tract
According to the paper Menstrual Hygiene Practices, WASH Access, and the Risk of Urogenital Infection in Women from Odisha, India, urinary tract infection is one of the most common infections among girls and women of menstruation age, and it is caused primarily by unsanitary menstrual practices.
