Homing in on a unique challenge, this menstrual educator is campaigning for period-friendly shelter homes during floods

Floods can have devastating effects on the economy, environment, as well as people. Apart from property loss, there are a lot of health risks associated with floods.

And during natural disasters, menstrual hygiene is often overlooked. Women on their period are at greater risk during floods because being displaced from homes means no access to clean cloth or sanitary napkins. Besides, stuffed in a crowded flood relief camp can be a nightmare for any woman on her period. 

A 15-year-old girl during the 2017 Assam floods faced a similar situation. The girl, on her period, had a difficult time as she couldn’t find any female rescuers, and she hesitated to approach the male rescuers for help, thanks to the stigma associated with it. With no cloth or sanitary pads, the girl continued to bleed until her aunt arrived to help her out. This is not the only case, as many such women go through a tough time during natural disasters.  

Looking at the situation and in order to help such women during floods, 32-year-old Mayuri Bhattacharjee, an activist and a menstrual educator, started an online petition on Change.org this year in March to build 50 period-friendly flood shelters in Assam.

The campaign has received over 35,000 signatures till date. Mayuri says the period-friendly shelters will provide basic sanitary products and menstrual aides, which include pads, cloths, and soaps.

Mayuri witnessed the harsh ground reality during one of her workshops in a flood-prone village in Assam, as women had no support in disaster-affected shelter homes.

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Speaking to The Logical Indian, she said,

“I went and asked other women in the audience if they faced similar issues. A lot of them answered in the affirmative. A woman even said that she rushed back to her dilapidated house to get a piece of cloth since there was no menstrual aid or kit available at the shelter home.”

Following this, Mayuri’s Sonitpur-based NGO, Sikun Relief Foundation, conducted a study on menstrual health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), reports The Hindu.

Also read: Menstruation and the workplace: Women talk about the problem and need for inclusion

During the study, Mayuri interviewed 84 women between age 15 and 50 years in relief camps across Sonitpur, Biswanath, and Nagaon districts in Assam.

Speaking on the importance of period-friendly shelters, she said,

“Women are caught in a dire situation whenever disaster strikes. Not only in villages of Assam, but even in urban settings, an example being the Chennai floods.”

She added,

“Women are vulnerable in disaster-struck places. These shelter homes often become a haven for traffickers and abusers. What is required is that social welfare officers pay a visit to such shelter homes to ensure women and children are safe.”

Mayuri is expecting the government to build 50 period-friendly shelter homes, if the expectation is met. Her next plan will be a nationwide campaign.

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