Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Project Udita, under which Udita Corners were set up at all anganwadis to make sanitary pads available to adolescent girls and women at a low cost, has been non-functional for years now.
Launched by the State Woman and Child Development Department in 2016, Project Udita offered a pack of six sanitary pads through anganwadis for Rs 12 to Rs 15. In the open market, good quality sanitary pads are priced between Rs 60 and Rs 100 per pack.
Initially, the department coordinated with supply pad manufacturers to anganwadis. Later, the manufacturers and anganwadis started dealing directly with each other. This system too did not work.
A leader of state anganwadi workers’ association Hazra told Free Press that they were no longer getting supply from department. “This has been the situation for five years now. The department has not given any reason for stopping supply,” he said.
Asha, an anganwadi worker in Kolar, said that guidance on menstrual hygiene was provided to adolescent girls at Udita Corner at her centre. “Initially, we did get supply from vendors selected by the department. But the pads were of poor quality and overpriced. So, I stopped buying them,” she said.
No shut down
Udita Project has not been shut down formally. But yes, sanitary pads are not being supplied to anganwadis. On chief minister’s directives, the department is working on a scheme to supply sanitary pads for free.
Suresh Tomar, Woman and Child Welfare Department joint director
MP second-worst
As per National Family Health Survey- 5, Madhya Pradesh is the second-worst state in the country in use of hygienic methods for menstrual protection. Almost 39% of women of 15 to 24 years of age do not use hygienic method. Almost 64.4% of women use clothes during period. Among women who have had no schooling, only 25.9% use hygienic methods. The figure keeps rising with rise in number of years spent in school.
