Key Highlights:
- The policy aims to mainstream menstrual hygiene within the school system
-PIL called for the provision of free sanitary pads and separate toilets for schoolgirls.
- 97.5% of schools offer separate toilet facilities for female students, with Delhi, Goa, & Puducherry leading the way.
On Monday, the Centre informed the Supreme Court about the approval of the "Menstrual Hygiene Policy for School-Going Girls" by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Citing a Supreme Court ruling from April 10, 2023, the Centre explained that the policy, aimed at promoting menstrual hygiene among female schoolchildren was approved recently.
The Supreme Court was hearing a PIL filed by Congress leader and social activist Jaya Thakur, which sought directions to the Centre and states to provide free sanitary pads to female students in Classes 6 to 12 and ensure separate toilet facilities for females in all government, government-aided, and residential schools.
The policy aims to ensure that students in government and aided schools have regular access to menstrual hygiene products by facilitating assessments through appropriate survey mechanisms conducted by states and union territories.
It also focuses on challenging harmful social norms, promoting safe menstrual hygiene practices, and supporting the environmentally sustainable management of menstrual waste.
The Centre informed the apex court that over 97.5% of schools in the country, including government, state-aided, and private institutions, now provide separate toilet facilities for female students.
States and union territories like Delhi, Goa, and Puducherry have achieved 100% compliance with previous court orders.
In total, 16 lakh toilets for boys and 17.5 lakh toilets for girls have been constructed in over 10 lakh government schools, alongside 2.5 lakh toilets for boys and 2.9 lakh toilets for girls in government-aided schools.
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