Menstrual Hygiene Day: Awareness Campaign Reaches 800 Adolescent Girls Across 45 Villages in Varanasi
Varanasi: On the occasion of World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Janmitra Nyas, in collaboration with Child Rights and You (CRY), conducted an extensive awareness campaign across 45 villages in Varanasi district. The week-long initiative engaged nearly 800 adolescent girls through interactive awareness sessions focusing on menstrual hygiene, personal cleanliness, nutrition, health rights, and various social challenges faced by adolescents.
During the campaign, the girls openly shared several critical issues affecting their daily lives. Adolescent girls from the Musahar settlement in Dallipur highlighted the severe shortage of clean water in their village, stating that inadequate access to safe water prevents them from maintaining proper personal hygiene. They emphasized that the situation becomes even more challenging during menstruation, adversely impacting their health, dignity, and daily routine. The girls stressed that access to clean water is not merely a matter of convenience but a fundamental issue of health and dignity.
Taking these concerns seriously, Janmitra Nyas initiated dialogue and intervention efforts with the Jal Kal Department to address the water crisis. Issues identified by adolescent groups during the campaign were systematically documented and are being forwarded to the concerned departments for necessary action and resolution.
The campaign went beyond awareness-building by empowering adolescent girls to identify their problems, raise their voices collectively, and take leadership roles in seeking solutions. The initiative significantly contributed to strengthening their self-confidence, leadership skills, and participation in community development.
The week-long campaign was conducted under the leadership of Shruti Nagvanshi, Trustee of Janmitra Nyas. Key contributors included Mangla Rajbhar, Sandhya Kumari, and Chamela Devi (CMC Counselor) from Baragaon Block; Pratima Pandey, Shobhnath, Subhash Prasad, and Brijesh Pandey from Harahua Block; Geeta Devi (CMC Counselor), Sanjay Kumar, and Vinod Kumar from Pindra Block; and Somaru Patel from Arajiline Block. The documentation of the entire campaign was carried out by Anand Nishad.
