Kerala to provide menstrual cups to teenage girls in all schools
Menstrual cups, made of medical grade silicone in the shape of a bell, are environment-friendly, sustainable, and a cost-effective alternative to sanitary napkins.
In a unique initiative, the Kerala government is lining up plans to implement a project of distributing menstrual cups (M-Cups) in all government and aided schools across the state. The administration will earmark an amount of Rs 10 crore for the project.
This was announced by J. Chinchurani, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development while speaking at the state-level inauguration of ‘Surakshith’ scheme launched by the state-owned Kerala Feeds Limited (KFL). KFL, the public sector enterprise, has rolled out the M-Cups scheme as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives for 2021-2022, in collaboration with the central public sector company HLL Lifecare Limited (HLL).
The scheme aims at promoting M-Cups among government school children of 13-17age group (Classes 8-12), which would benefit over 15,000 girl students in select schools in the state.
KFL- HLL Lifecare initiative under Surakshith project
The Minister said that, in the first phase, around 10 assembly constituencies have been selected for ‘Surakshith’ project, which will provide safety and help women ensure hygiene. Lauding KFL for launching ‘Surakshith’ scheme, the Minister said such initiatives will enable women to come to the mainstream of society.
The Minister also distributed the M-Cups to select schools on the occasion. It was also stated at the function that, apart from being eco-friendly, the M-Cups will bring down the physical difficulties being faced by women.
Menstrual cups are a cost-effective alternative to sanitary napkins
The government sees the ‘Surakshith’ project as a good model of women empowerment in the state. An awareness session was also organised for students on the use of M-Cups.
The flexible M-Cup, made of medical grade silicone in the shape of a bell, is an environment-friendly, sustainable, and cost-effective alternative to sanitary napkins. Besides providing 6 to 8 hours of protection, the leakage-free and odour-free M-Cup can be reused for up to 10 years.
