Now, colleges to install sanitary napkin vending units

Taking a step forward towards ensuring menstrual hygiene, many colleges across the city have collaborated with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to install sanitary napkins vending machines in their educational institutions.

This comes on the backdrop of the continuous initiative undertaken by MNS to spread awareness and provide napkins at an affordable rate.

To address the lack of awareness among girls, MNS general secretary Shalini Thackeray recently approached the government to promote menstrual management among women and girls. Based on the proposed recommendations, the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) has issued directives to the state’s engineering colleges about the installation of sanitary napkins vending machines on their college campuses.

Similarly, BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta has also assured to build more public toilets for women across the city and install sanitary napkins vending machines on the premises of these public toilets.

“India will not be a clean country in the true sense unless we resolve issues related to health and sanitation. Although, personal cleanliness and maintaining menstrual hygiene is the fundamental right of every woman, it is not constitutionally recognised as yet. However, there’s an urgent need to provide the much-needed support and efforts to strive for its implementation,” said Ms Thackeray. She is the chief of women’s organisation called ‘Kalki’ which works for women.