Water Pakistan

Haircut, nails, dental hygiene, washing of hands after using toilet and

before eating, use of towel, hair comb etc. are important ingredients of

personal hygiene and if taken care of, brings sizable reduction in the

disease burden of a household. But, there a visible lack of emphasis on

personal hygiene by all concerned including our prayer leaders, school

teachers, parents and media.

Pakistan is expected to have an estimated population of 172.8

million in 2010, of which one fourth (25%) are women between the

ages of 10-40 years. On average, this is the active female period.

Women spend about 2100 days of their life menstruating. Somehow,

this process of natural blood flow that ultimately provides the base

for human procreation and development is something that is

supposedly the biggest secret and something of shame for the south

Asian women folk.

Muslim women do not offer their five times prayers in those specific

days and Hindus too have some specific process in these days.

Unfortunately this delivers a wrong signal in our society that this is

something bad and we need to keep this process as confidential as we

can. This becomes all the more predominant in rural settings and

even in urban families of middle income and education backdrop.

The younger girls (10-15 years of age) that is 6% of the population,

are least prepared

for this onset. They are also ignorant of the hygienic

management of the process and its importance vis-à-vis their reproductive

health and hence overall health

Now this less fortunate part of the society which is already marginalized

and has insufficient resources is vulnerable to more hazards when they

handle this particular period with a used piece of cloth of unknown sanitary

quality.

Though clean cotton cloth is still a better choice compared to hygienic but

plastic, air -sealed sanitary pads selling at a high cost.

Females during their specific days have to bear with this situation. Mostly

in rural areas, they use a piece of cotton cloth. Which when washed is kept

in some dark corner of the house so that none sees it. Sun drying is denied

because of it being a taboo thing. When reused without proper cleaning or for

longer durations, it causes diseases. Sanitary pads in vogue also have their own

issues: hygienic and disposal. Apad of cotton cloth which if clean and sun dried

will be the best choice as for the absorption goes. The secrecy taboo seriously

discourages the washing and sun drying process.

We have some major issues associated with this which are as follows:

Many women are suffering from Vagitinitus due to poor attention to the women

specific sanitary care , at certain stage. Unfortunately poor and less educated

class falls as a bigger prey to this trap. This further aggravates their health and

happiness quality,

Not having reasonable sanitary provisions like separate toilets at schools and

work places cause extra dropout rate for female students, thus adding to the

already high less educated and/or illiterate mothers . This deprives us as a nation

of having ‘educated mother, educated family’ concept privilege.

Not having separate/ safe toilets at work places and factories discourages quite a

bunch of women not working at all or absenting/ holidaying during periods thus

depriving the family of a possible source of additional income.

The solution to this issue could be:

1.

increasing awareness about the issue,

2.

accepting it as a natural process and very important to female adult life.

3.

Emphasizing the need to keep this process clean and hygienic

4.

Using washed and sun dried cotton cloth and

5.

Avoiding the costly sanitary pads and even thebaby nappies.

Cotton Cloth sanitary pads, as a source of livelihood.

Preparing and selling clean cotton pads could be a low investment project for

rural women/ men , that could be a source of earning livelihood for the family and

improving the health of our women and hence the generation to come