Celebrating menstrual hygiene day 2016

On 28 May 2016, Menstrual Hygiene Day was celebrated in SNV through conducting training and awareness sessions in 10 RMG factories in partnership with ACI Limited.

The sessions which included a total of 1,000 female garment workers consisted of a quiz regarding basic knowledge about menstrual hygiene, documentary screening and training sessions by doctors. As the factories have a large number of female workers, it is vital to build awareness on menstrual health in their workplace as many of them still miss out on workdays due to menstruation related issues; also many of the workers still use rags instead of sanitary napkins which is not only unhygienic but it also makes them prone to infections and diseases which effects their productivity and health.

“This training really helped me to understand the importance of using sanitary napkin during menstruation. Previously, I did know that using sanitary napkin is better but I had no idea why. I now know the benefits of using it and I will also explain it to my friends and family.”, said Saima Ahmed, a worker at Shomahar Sweaters Ltd.

After the training session, a specialized doctor sat down with the workers and addressed the concerns and issues that were raised during the session. In retrospect, the event has not only helped to increase the level of awareness among the workers but it also initiated them to break out of the stigma surrounding menstruation.