Urmi

Urmi – All about Menstruation

In Pune around 40% of the population is living in the slum area. While working in other Seva Sahayog projects like Samutkarsha (Education), Kishori Vikas Prakalp (Adolescent Girls) & Women Empowerment Programme (WEP) in Vastis, we realized that there is a lack of awareness about Menstrual Health & Hygiene among the ladies & girls and there is a need to create the same as is also targeted in Sustainable Development Goal # 3 Good Health & Wellbeing for all.

Impact

The Urmi Project has significantly raised menstrual health awareness. Post-session, belief in following traditional practices during menstruation dropped from 45% to 16%, and the notion of menstrual blood being impure fell from 74% to 24%. Awareness of the Jan-Aushadhi Napkins scheme increased from 25% to 85%.
Additionally, the sessions empowered volunteers with essential knowledge, encouraging positive
community health changes. Teachers in rural schools now share vital menstrual health information and inspire student volunteers to conduct awareness activities in their villages. Male participants, including schoolboys and company volunteers, have shown increased willingness to discuss menstruation.

Activities for creating Awareness about Menstruation

1. Urmi Awareness Session:

   Scientific information on Menstruation in easy to understand language is imparted to the beneficiaries (Women, Adolescent Girls, Adolescent Boys). Information about basics of menstruation like why it happens, changes that occur in the body, personal hygiene to be maintained, diet, available products in the market, etc. is provided during the session.

2. Interactive Session at workplace:

Reducing the taboo, having open conversation about menstruation and sharing scientific information at the workplace with a group of co-workers (mix gender groups) are some of the objectives of this activity.
This activity comprises of introductions, information about Urmi, group discussions, a short film or presentation on menstruation and activity feedback.

3. Train The Trainer:
   Training is provided to the interested volunteers/trainers in multiple sessions, so that they can conduct awareness sessions independently in the future.
4. Red Dot Bag (Sanitary Waste Disposal Bag) Activity:
   Project Urmi (All about menstruation) works for awareness of menstrual health and hygiene. Through this project we also provide Sanitary Napkins and Red dot Bags to beneficiaries from community areas.
   Red Dot Bag activity tries to spread awareness about proper disposal of used sanitary napkins amongst larger society. This activity enables society to adapt to clean and hygienic disposal of sanitary waste, so that it can be easily segregated by the waste pickers at the source.
   According to a study done by SWaCH, every day it collects 650 tonnes of waste in Pune, of which 3-5 per cent is sanitary waste (diapers and pads). The waste pickers end up segregating 20 tonnes (roughly 20,000 kg) of sanitary waste every day, which becomes a serious occupational hazard.