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Buying sanitary pads heavy on the pocket
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The supply from public health centres (PHCs) has been discontinued as a result of Covid.
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Geetha added: “Our PHC used to provide us free Shuchi napkins in addition to the government’s supply. But they have also stopped supplying napkins now. We have written letters to PHC, but they complain of not receiving Shuchi napkins from the government.” When The Observer asked girls at the K. Gollahalli government high school if they knew about free sanitary napkins, they replied in the negative. As most girls use sanitary napkins, they need to spend at least Rs 100 every month, which is heavy on the pockets.
Women in rural areas still use cloth, which is unhygienic if not used properly, and can cause infections, doctors say.
Dr Chaitra K, a general doctor at Yalavigi PHC, Savnaur taluk, said: “In my taluk, most of the girls and their parents use
In India, only 15 private companies provide menstrual leave | cloth…. The problem with cloth is that girls in rural areas reuse the same…. A used cloth piece used as a pad by a girl should not be reused by another girl. Pads are preferably better suited for primary school and college-going girls, especially in rural areas.” hamsaveni.n@iijnm.org
Credit: Hamsaveni N.
Teachers and doctors feel that schemes like Shuchi help girls in rural settings stay hygienic. They also help them not to miss school every month.
During Covid, he said, he incurred huge losses. Even now, he invests Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh, but is only able to make sales of Rs 50,000.
Rathod, whose shop is named Kasturi Bayi Rathod, said he has been making and selling Lambani clothes for the past 40 years in Lambani Thanda. He buys raw material from Hubbal- li and Gadag for Rs 3 lakh. The prominent material is cotton which he says is very costly.
Covid was the harshest phase he faced. He had to shut his shop down. He survived the difficult phase by working on his twoacre jowar farm.
By selling Lambani dresses, he earns only Rs 5,000-Rs 6,000 per month. During the wedding
