Breaking a taboo

Last month, Ranjita Roy, an eighth grader of Chatmohar Pilot Girls' High School, faced an unavoidable challenge during her half-yearly examinations. Her period began while in the exam hall and she did not have the option to go home and get a sanitary pad. 

“I could not go to the invigilator with my problem because he was a man. I quickly excused myself to the washroom, used tissues and went back to the exam hall,” she said.

Like her, most school-going girls face a lot of problems during their monthly periods. The lack of sufficient hygiene system and awareness in society are what make matters worse for these girls.

However, the 400 students Chatmohar Pilot Girls' High School saw a drastic change made yesterday to help this monthly “discomfort” go away- the setting up of an Emergency Pad Corner.

Chatmohar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sarkar Ashim Kumar inaugurate the progaramme yesterday. Photo: Star

An initiative of “Alokito Agami”, a Dhaka-based voluntary organisation Bojromushthi, the pad corner was set up under their 'Donate a Pad for hygiene Bangladesh' programme.

Project Coordinator Marzia Prova, said, “Female students in our country face a lot of problems in their institutions since there is no special hygiene system for them when it comes to menstruation.

“Due to the lack of social awareness in this regard, female students do not even share their problem with their teachers. Hence, we have taken the initiative to introduce an 'Emergency Pad Corner' in every school in Bangladesh for the sake of their hygiene.”

Already having introduced the much-needed initiative to seven girls' schools in seven districts, she said, “We are primarily trying to cover at least one school in each of the 64 districts and then move on to the upazila level. Steadily, we plan to cover all female schools in Bangladesh under this special hygiene programme.”

The Emergency Pad Corner has so far been set up in one school each of Rangpur, Shariatpur, Khulna, Rangamati, Sylhet, Feni, and Pabna.

Ishaque Ali, headmaster of Chatmohar Pilot Girls' High, said this is a common problem in girls' schools. But now we have introduced the 'Emergency Pad Corner' to eliminate their period problems.

“Whenever they need, any student can take a pad from the box full of pads readily available for them, and donate Tk 5 in the donation box next to it,” he added.

The voluntary funded project is at its initial stage and the organisation believes that once it is spread throughout the country, they can make something larger out of it. “We have taken voluntary funds for the initiative. Besides, the five taka donated while taking a pad will also be used in furthering the project,” a member of Bojromushthi said.

Chatmohar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Sarkar Ashim Kumar officially inaugurated the Emergency Pad Corner in the school on Saturday at a programme. Headmaster Ishaque Ali chaired the programme while Upazila Academic Supervisor Golam Mostafa, Upazila Social Welfare Officer Rezaul Karim, among others, spoke at the event.

“This is obviously an innovative initiative. Through this Emergency Pad Corner students can find a remedy to their period problems in their own schools. It will also ensure hygiene for them,” the UNO said.

Happy about not having to leave the school due to a natural bodily function, Annita Mursona, another eighth grader said, “Now we don't leave and go home when we get our periods because we get the solution in our school! Such an initiative should be introduced in all other schools.”