Amid concern over high dropout rate of girls because of menstrual hygiene issues, a women’s college of Lucknow, UP has shown the way by becoming the first institution in the state to install a sanitary napkin vending machine in its premises.
Unavailability of sanitary pads, absence of separate toilets for girls and lack of water in toilets reflect on the attendance of girls in schools and colleges. Surveys have claimed that nearly 20 to 30 per cent of girls in North India dropped out of schools after they started menstruating.
While talking about menstrual hygiene remains a taboo in the country, the ‘bold step’ of installing an automated sanitary vending machine for its students has been taken by one of the prestigious and oldest women’s colleges the Avadh Girl’s Degree College under Lucknow University. Manager Nishi Pandey said that they have installed the machine around a week back and response from the students is very good.