Kshitij foundation gives women a platform to open up about their experiences regarding menstruation. Even today rural areas, only 12% women use sanitary napkins and 88% women use other options including mud, ash, leaves, grass, rags or cloth,which cause serious hazard to women’s health. As I was conducting sessions from last 4 years, I experienced that people were not much serious about this topic, so I thought first I need to show the importance of this sensitive topic. So I stared online campaign names “Bleed_the_silence”
We started collecting articles,paintings,poems,stories of first periods,myths,taboos,etc on menstruation from various regions. I am happy to inform that we collected 100+ articles not only from India but also from countries like France, Germany, Thailand etc. People started sending support pictures by holding the banners. Not only the women but also the boys, men initiated the campaign too.
IMPACT STORIES:
ROOT LEVEL IMPACT
- We reached up to approx. 20K women, girls, youth till date, to impart awareness on maintaining personal hygiene during menstruation
- To enable adolescent girls to overcome inhibitions to talk about menstruation and seek help when required
Distribution sanitary napkins to the under privileged adolescent girls .
- I would like to mention that first awareness session at Hiraj village,solapur district was held in the temple ”SAREE SYMBOLIC MOVE”
- We spread awareness through AKASHWANI(AIR) so it reached in villages.
- Menstrual hygiene awareness session, rally, drives were conducted at Madha nagarpanchayat,Bhoinje Villages.
- We got stories from tribal areas of Melghat Gadchiroli , Yavatmal, rural areas, urban slums, stories from husband, brothers, father.
- Stories from pharmacist regarding experience while selling pads.
- Story from dancer,boxer, waste pickers, etc.
- People are getting sensitized. Male are supporting women and girls. Male helps her during her periods for cooking, washing clothes, home chores etc.
- Women are maintaining hygiene properly. Even though they are using cloth but they are using it after proper washing, drying etc. Women started washing hands before and after changing pads or cloth.
- Many misconceptions are replaced by scientific reasons so many village women and girls got free from unwanted rules. Girls started taking openly on periods
- Women started sharing there issues with doctors so proper treatment is going on.
- Women started disposing pads or cloth in proper manner otherwise they use to through in lake, ponds etc
- Women and girls become confident. They are raising voice against injustice.
- Medical camps
- We build the network of youth there is atleast 1 representative from each district of Maharashtra.
Government:
- Sangli zila parishad arranged the district level TOT and they are going to educate about 85000 girl with UNICEF under the guidance of CEO Abhijit Raut Sir.They invited Kshitij members for conducting session
- started Asmita yojna. Govt invited Kshitij representative for meetings, prelaunch meetings.
- Received district youth award of Govt.of Maharashtra on 1 may
- Dongri Jail: conducted sessions in dongri children’s home so many new stories come out. We sensitized the children and counseling.The remand home at Dongri, where children in the age group of 12-18 are housed.
These kids are usually the ones who indulge in petty offences such as chain-snatching, pick-pocketing and mobile snatching as they need money for survival. - Conducted session for 700 lady police at Maharashtra women training academy, Solapur with the help of Nanasaheb Kadam(API) ,now we received good feedback that male constables now understand pain. They support her during her duties. They bought pad for her if required. They asked her to take rest.
- Many are sexually abused by older residents and they really need counselling . It was very different experience with girls , they shared their experiences,stories,raise many questions.
In so many govt. and private school girls started keeping pads, newspaper for wrapping and dust bins. State youth training camp. Government officers started supporting and inviting us for sessions.
International coverages: On the occasion of international girls day , our interview was published in women & girl magazine. Interview by Sweden TV
CSR Training
We have conducted training for Cognizant CSR heads.
CELEBRITIES
- CM’s wife Mrs.Amruta Fadnavis has supported the campaign by giving us bytes and expressing her views about the campaign.
- Many actors like Jaywant Wadkar, Suyash Tilak, Vijay kadam, Rohini Hattagadi, Shubhangi Gokhale, Prashant Damle, Arun Mohare, Sankarshan Karhade, Nimesh Surte etc supported the campaign.
- Administrative officer Dr.Ashok Dandge and his wife Chaitali supported the campaign on wedding day.
- Many administrative officers like IAS, IPS, SP, Mahesh Bhagwat,Vitthal Udamale, Abhijit Raut etc came forward to support the campaign.
2018 Main Goal:
We are going to start menstrual hygiene awareness for specially abled, Deaf, Dumb and differently abled people.
Snehal Chaudhari Founder and president –Kshitij Foundation, Email: foundationkshitij@gmail.com
