Period Poverty in Vidarbha: How Lack of Pads Affects Girls’ Health and Education

thenewsdirt
Jun 17
6 min read

Menstrual cup, tampon, and pad on a pink background, arranged in a row. The scene is clean and minimalistic, highlighting personal hygiene. Period Poverty in Vidarbha — Period Poverty in Vidarbha

In Vidarbha’s rural classrooms, a growing crisis is taking place each month out of sight. Many adolescent girls miss school during their periods because they lack safe, affordable menstrual products. Recent data paint a stark picture.

A 2022 study of tribal schoolgirls near Nagpur found that only 73.7% used commercial sanitary pads, while 26.2% managed with cloth. The same survey noted that just 45% of those girls had even heard of menstruation before it began.

This gap in knowledge and supplies, commonly termed “period poverty,” is a hidden barrier to education and health. Nationwide, only about 77.6% of women aged 15–24 use any hygienic method to manage their periods. In practical terms, nearly half of young women still rely on clothes alone.

Scale of the Problem

Studies and surveys consistently show that many girls in Vidarbha cannot easily obtain sanitary pads. Government data for all of India (NFHS-5, 2019–21) indicate 64.4% of young women (15–24) use sanitary napkins, but 49.6% still use cloth.

In Vidarbha villages, the situation is even more acute. A 2022 survey of 272 tribal girls in Nagpur district found that only 201 (73.7%) used pads, while the remaining 71 (26.3%) used a cloth.

The study’s authors noted that cost and availability were major factors: many families simply cannot afford or do not have access to commercial pads. Cultural taboos compound the problem.

In the same Nagpur study, almost all the girls (97.9%) reported being barred from religious activities during menstruation, and two-thirds (65.8%) were not allowed to attend classes on those days.

Such restrictions mean an entire generation of girls is sidelined each month. Beyond the classroom, poor menstrual hygiene has health consequences. Vidarbha already leads Maharashtra in anaemia.

NFHS-5 found that over 74% of children (under 5) and more than 60% of girls aged 15–19 in Vidarbha were anaemic. Local doctors note heavy menstrual bleeding as a major cause.

As one gynaecologist explained, “In women, anaemia can be caused due to heavy blood loss during menstruation”. If girls lack iron-rich diets or sanitary supplies, their monthly cycles can worsen their health.

The result is a vicious cycle. Anaemic girls feel weak and are more likely to miss school, which in turn limits their future prospects.

Education and Health Impacts

Infographics on Period Poverty in Vidarbha — Period Poverty in Vidarbha

The effects of period poverty are evident in schools. National research highlights a severe attendance problem during menstruation.

A meta-analysis involving 97,000 girls across India found that roughly one in four females (aged 10–19) misses class each month for lack of changing rooms, water, privacy or pads.

In practical terms, scarce access to menstrual products "has caused girls to drop out of school” entirely. Even when they do attend, many girls in Vidarbha sit out lessons or skip exams rather than risk stains or embarrassment.

Teachers are aware of the issue. In May 2023, over 800 educators from Nagpur and surrounding districts attended a workshop on menstrual hygiene.

Dr Laxmi Shrikhande of the Association of Medical Women in Nagpur told them the goal is to equip schools to support girls. “As it is impossible to reach out to all the schools personally, this workshop aimed to equip teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills to educate their students about menstrual hygiene,” she said. Emphasising the stakes, Dr Shrikhande added, “It’s important to ensure that every woman and girl has access to proper menstrual hygiene products and information”. Workshop attendees noted that rural areas in particular still hold many misconceptions. They hope that more education will gradually end the stigma that keeps girls at home.

Social activists echo the need for awareness. Ayana Kashikar, a college student originally from Nagpur, has been running an October 2022 awareness campaign through the local NGO Feel Good Foundation.

She has distributed pads and period literature in slums and schools across Nagpur. According to Nagpur Today, Ayana explained that “due to food habits, hormonal changes”, girls are experiencing menstruation earlier, so “it is very important for young girls to learn…about periods and use pads”. Her campaign aimed to reach 1,500 needy women and girls, reflecting growing NGO involvement.

Ayana stresses that period poverty remains a neglected issue: their campaign’s goal “is to reduce period poverty and…provide them with sanitary necessities”. She observes that many families “still [do] not give the required attention” to the problem, a sentiment shared by activists across the region.

On the health front, local doctors underline that untreated infections are another risk of period poverty.

Without access to clean pads or toilets, girls may use unwashed rags for days. National health experts note that unhygienic menstrual practices are linked to vaginal infections and other reproductive health problems.

Public health writers warn that prolonged use of dirty clothes can lead to serious conditions like septicemia or toxic shock. In community discussions, experts say education and access are equally vital.

As per a health specialist, cloth can be used safely if it is washed and dried properly, but “when menstrual and personal hygiene is not practised, it can lead to infection”. Such infections would further compound girls’ suffering and keep them out of school.

Community Initiatives and Responses

Faced with this challenge, a patchwork of local efforts has sprung up. NGOs, students and officials are slowly chipping away at stigma and lack of access. In Gadchiroli and other tribal districts, the eco-social enterprise Samajbandh has been particularly active.

Samajbandh founders report that women in villages “have no awareness about menstrual health” and often “cannot afford sanitary products”.

In response, they and partner group EcoFemme have taught women to make reusable cloth pads from old garments. Older women in the Madia tribal community, who never used commercial pads, are now preparing and distributing cloth-pad kits to their younger peers.

“The older women of the Madia tribe…distribute kits of cloth pads to other women and girls of the tribe,” the report notes, helping to fill gaps where shops have no napkins. Samajbandh founder Sachin Subhash says the NGO has reached over 40,000 tribal women with Asha Cloth Pads across more than 20 districts in Maharashtra.

In urban Nagpur, volunteers join school campaigns. The Association of Medical Women in Nagpur (AMWN) trains teachers, distributes booklets and answers girls’ questions. Public health workers from AMWN have gone to schools and slum settlements to show girls and their families how to use pads or cups. They also explain safe disposal methods. For example,

Dr. Swati Sarda of AMWN told teachers about newer products like menstrual cups and cloth pads, emphasising “their cost-effectiveness, eco-friendliness and comfort”. By educating boys and parents as well, organisers hope to break the silence. In one rural session, organisers brought life-size diagrams of the female reproductive system to school, so that even reluctant mothers could see that menstruation is a natural biological process.

Such grassroots efforts aim to make it easier for girls to ask for help instead of hiding in shame.

Schools themselves are taking measures. Some municipal schools in Nagpur have installed subsidised sanitary pad vending machines in restrooms. (Many schools have also responded to government policy by distributing free pads to girls.) The Maharashtra state government’s Kishori Swasthya Yojana scheme, launched in 2018, commits to providing free pads to girls in poverty.

However, even when pads are available, running water and private toilets are often lacking. Observers say that without clean facilities and proper disposal bins, girls still face indignity and discomfort at school. Teachers report that if water taps are broken or toilets have no doors, girls will choose to stay home.

As one AMWN trainer warned, “If you use a sanitary pad for 10 hours and do not practice personal hygiene, you can get a rash and an infection”. This blunt message is part of efforts to change attitudes and prevent health problems.

The combined voice of NGOs, educators and health workers underscores that change will not happen overnight. “Only with knowledge and dignity can we break the taboos that keep girls from learning,” says Dr. Shrikhande. For now, every pad given and every myth dispelled is a small victory.

As a local activist put it, menstrual hygiene is still “a cause that…does not get the required attention by society”.

Whether officials and communities can scale up these efforts, before thousands more girls fall behind, remains to be seen.

In the villages of Vidarbha, many are watching and waiting, hopeful that the next generation will not have to make invisible sacrifices to stay in class.