Breaking taboos, building awareness: Chamba marks Menstrual Hygiene Day

The Department of Health and Family Welfare, Chamba, observed Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025 with a compelling awareness event at Him Navodaya GNM Nursing School. The programme, aimed at fostering open dialogue and dispelling deep-rooted myths around menstruation, was led by District Programme Officer Dr Vaibhavi Gurung.

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Addressing a hall full of GNM students, Dr Gurung emphasised that menstruation is a natural biological process, not something to be hidden or stigmatised. She explained that it typically begins between the ages of 9 and 16 and continues until around the age of 50. If menstruation begins earlier or later than this range, she noted, medical consultation should be sought without hesitation.

Dr Gurung went on to shed light on the challenges that many women still face across the country. “Even today,” she said, “menstruating women are treated as impure in certain sections of society. They are isolated, denied entry into religious and social spaces and kept in unhygienic conditions. These practices are not only unscientific but also socially harmful.”

She urged the need for open conversations, not just among women, but involving men too. “Discrimination during menstruation has no scientific basis. Only through awareness and collective dialogue can we dismantle the stigma that has existed for generations,” she remarked passionately.

The importance of menstrual hygiene was another key focus of her address. Dr Gurung stressed the use of clean sanitary pads, daily bathing, washing hands with soap after changing pads and the safe disposal of used products — either by wrapping them in paper and placing them in bins, burying or incinerating. She reminded students that poor hygiene could lead to infections and long-term reproductive health problems.

To engage students further and foster a creative platform for advocacy, the event included poster-making and speech competitions. The results reflected both talent and commitment. Nisha, a second-year student, took first place in both competitions, impressing the audience with her expressive artwork and eloquent speech. Payal from the third year secured second place in the poster competition, while Sheetal, a first-year student, came third. In the speech competition, Pinky and Mahima, both first-year students, earned second and third positions respectively.

Dr Gurung felicitated the winners, congratulating them for their enthusiasm and their role in spreading vital awareness. The event concluded on a note of empowerment, with students encouraged to become ambassadors for menstrual health in their communities.

In a society where silence around menstruation often translates into suffering, the event stood as a hopeful sign of change — of young voices rising to challenge taboos, spread knowledge and champion dignity for all.