Tata Steel Foundation Celebrates World Menstrual Hygiene Day

The RISTHA (Regional Initiative of Self Sexual Health for Today's Adolescent) team from Tata Steel Foundation celebrated World Menstrual Hygiene Day with an awareness session at Kalanga Gram Panchayat on May 28, 2024. This initiative aimed to educate adolescent girls and their mothers about menstrual health and hygiene, contributing to improving the region's health index.

Menstrual Hygiene Day, marked globally on May 28 and this year it is being observed with the theme "Together for a #PeriodFriendlyWorld," which underscores the importance of creating an environment where menstruation is managed safely and with dignity.

70 participants including girls aged 10 to 19 and mothers, Anganwadi workers, Asha, ANMs, and supervisors from Kalanga GP took part in this awareness session. Young changemakers like Rituparana Nayak and Manisha Nayak, shared their experience after joining RISHTA, which influenced other females positively in their locality.

Project RISHTA engages with adolescents and young couples in the villages of Tata Steel operational locations through select youth who can become peer educators trained by the programme staff. The objective is to address healthcare issues of adolescents particularly reproductive and sexual health resulting in delayed age of marriage and enabling youth to experience outdoor leadership camps and other life-skills engagements thus empowering them to make informed life-decisions.