Introduction: Why This Matters
Imagine this: You’re a 14-year-old girl sitting in class when suddenly, you feel that familiar cramp. Your stomach twists, and you realize that your period has started. You glance around nervously. Do the toilets have doors that lock? Is there a pad available if you need one? Will someone laugh if they see you carrying your bag to the bathroom?
For millions of girls in India, this isn’t just an occasional worry but a monthly reality that affects their education, health, and self-esteem.
We’ve all heard about government schemes and awareness campaigns promising "period-friendly" schools and colleges. But what’s the real situation? Let’s break it down without the sugarcoating.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: What’s Really Happening?
1. "Free Pads!" – But Are They Actually There?
What’s Supposed to Happen: Government schools are meant to provide free sanitary pads under the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (MHS). Sounds great, right?
What Actually Happens:
- In many educational institutions, pads arrive irregularly-sometimes once in three months, sometimes never.
- In private institutions? Forget free pads. Most don’t even have a vending machine.
2. The Great Indian Toilet Crisis
What’s Supposed to Happen: Every school should have clean, functional toilets with water, soap, and a way to dispose of pads safely.
What Actually Happens:
- No doors, no water, no soap. Many toilets look (and smell) like they haven’t been cleaned in weeks.
- In co-ed schools, girls often avoid using toilets altogether because boys peek or mock them.
- Due to the absence of dustbins, girls either flush pads (clogging pipes) or carry used pads back home in their bags.
3. "Periods Are Natural!" – Then Why Do We Whisper About Them?
What’s Supposed to Happen: Schools should teach about menstruation openly and scientifically, breaking myths.
What Actually Happens:
- School teachers often seclude the girls from the boys to teach them about periods, leaving boys clueless and forming stereotypical beliefs.
- Many girls don’t even know what a period is until they get theirs.
- Myths thrive with statements like “Don’t pray during periods,” "Don’t touch pickles," and "Period blood is dirty."
4. "Just Take a Paracetamol and Sit in Class"
What’s Supposed to Happen: Girls with severe cramps should get rest, pain relief, or even a day off if needed.
What Actually Happens:
- Most schools don’t allow period leave. If you’re in pain, you’re told to "tough it out."
- Many girls skip school secretly because they’re in too much pain to sit through class.
5. Hide Your Pad Like It’s a Drug Deal
What’s Supposed to Happen: Periods should be normalized. No shame, no hiding.
What Actually Happens:
- Girls sneak pads up their sleeves like they’re doing something illegal.
- Boys snicker, point, or even take photos if a girl has a leak.
- In villages, many girls are isolated during their periods and not allowed to touch anything.
Period Negligence in Educational Institutions: Case Studies
Case Study 1
A Class 11 student in Bareilly was allegedly forced to stand outside her exam hall for an hour simply for asking for a sanitary pad-a basic necessity that schools should provide without shame. This incident isn't just about one insensitive teacher; it exposes how India's education system continues to criminalize natural bodily functions, prioritizing outdated discipline over student dignity.
When schools punish girls for having periods rather than supporting them, they send a clear message: your education matters less than our comfort with your biology. Until every institution implements proper menstrual policies with accessible pads, hygienic toilets, and teacher training, such humiliation will remain routine for millions of girls just trying to get an education.
Case Study 2
Despite being an institution of higher learning, a certain college in Delhi continues to ignore one of the most basic student needs: clean and functional washrooms. With broken bathroom doors, no running water, overflowing dustbins, and a foul stench that greets every visitor, the washrooms are nothing short of a health hazard. For menstruating students, this neglect becomes a monthly nightmare, forcing them to look for alternatives.
The absence of dustbins for pad disposal or clean toilet seats adds layers of inconvenience and shame. It’s not just a matter of cleanliness; it's about dignity.
Why This Gap Exists: Root Causes
- Deep-rooted shame: Many teachers and parents grew up whispering about periods, passing the stigma to kids. Male staff often dismiss menstrual needs as "women’s problems."
- Broken promises: While government schemes promise free pads, corruption and poor monitoring mean supplies rarely reach girls. Toilets stay filthy because no one’s held accountable.
- Systemic neglect: Schools prioritize cricket pitches over pad vending machines, uniforms over clean toilets. Period needs are seen as "extra," not essential.
Worst of all? We’ve normalized this. Girls accept humiliation as fate-standing outside classrooms, missing exams, and dropping out.
The solution isn’t complicated. Until we treat menstrual dignity as seriously as math scores, we’re failing half our students. Period.
So… What Can We Actually Do About It?
- Demand working toilets with water and locks. How is this still a luxury?
- Educate everyone (yes, boys too). No more skipping the ‘awkward’ chapters. Teach periods like you teach digestion-it’s just biology.
- Include boys in the conversation. No more giggling when pads are mentioned.
- Let girls rest if they’re in pain. Would you force someone with a migraine to sit in bright light?
- Talk openly. Share stories. Normalize periods in everyday conversation.
- Call out period-shaming. If someone makes a joke, tell them it’s not funny.
Titli's Take
Are our educational institutions really period-friendly, or is it all just performative progress? While campuses might celebrate menstrual awareness days or install a token pad dispenser, the lived reality for students tells another story. Inadequate washroom hygiene, lack of access to menstrual products, poor disposal systems, and zero institutional support during cramps or heavy flow days-these issues are still far too common.
At Titli, we believe period dignity is non-negotiable. It’s time for schools and colleges to go beyond symbolic gestures and truly prioritize the needs of those who bleed. Because when institutions ignore menstrual health, they don't just ignore a bodily process-they ignore the students living through it.
