By Admin 
The Supreme Court has given a historic decision regarding hygiene during menstruation. The court has considered access to menstrual hygiene and related products as a part of the right to life. The Supreme Court has said this while giving its verdict on the petition demanding to provide free sanitary pads to girls from class 6 to 12 in schools and separate toilets for women.
In the petition filed in the Supreme Court, there was a demand to provide free sanitary pads to the adolescent girls from class 6 to 12 in government and government-aided schools and to make arrangements for their dignified disposal. During the hearing, the Central Government had told the court that it has made a national level policy to ensure menstrual hygiene of school girls.
Supreme Court gave this order regarding menstruation
Now the court has asked to implement the government policy in government and government-aided schools across the country. This order of the court is for all states and union territories. The bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan has said that the right to menstrual health also includes the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court has said that lack of access to menstrual hygiene measures is a violation of the girl child’s right to dignity.
The Supreme Court has also linked it to equality and right to education. The court has said that equality of opportunities means that every person should get a fair opportunity to get education. Not having separate toilets for girls in schools and not providing them sanitary pads is a violation of the right to education.
Our words should reach the consciousness of society: SC
Making an important comment, the court has said, ‘We want to send this message to every girl who remained absent from school only because her body was considered a burden. Although it is not his fault. We want our words to go beyond the courtroom and law books and reach the consciousness of society. We have to protect girls from humiliation, exclusion or unnecessary suffering.
Further, the court has said, ‘This decision is for the class room, where girls hesitate in asking for help. This is for teachers who want to help, but are unable to due to lack of resources. This is for those parents who don’t understand the impact their silence is having on such an important issue. Society should also keep in mind that its progress is measured by how it is protecting the weakest sections.