Kumbalangi, a village in Ernakulam, Kerela is been declared as the country’s first-ever sanitary napkin-free village.
The announcement was made by Kerela Governor Arif Mohammad on January 13.
Under the same event, Kumbalanghi is declared a model village by the Governor. The model village project is implemented through Pradhan Mantri Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana(SAGY). It will be one of the major attractions for tourists in Kochi, Kumbalanghi, will also have a new tourist information center. It is going to hold the title of India’s first model tourist village too.
The initiative, ‘Avalkayi’
Under the initiative titled ‘Avalkayi’, more than 5000 menstrual cups have been distributed among girls and women.
Womens have been given training by the volunteers for three months about the use and advantages of the menstrual cup.
Partners in the scheme include HLL Management Academy through their ‘Thingal’ scheme and India Oil Corporation are the other partners in the scheme.
Governor, Arif Mohammad Khan said in his inaugural address, “Beautiful village Kumbalangi will be a role model for others, Schemes like this will empower women, If villages prosper, our country will prosper.”
This initiative will help reduce pollution caused by synthetic napkins and ensure personal hygiene for working women and students.
Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden also told that napkin vending machines were also been installed in many schools which often created problems. Then they came up with the idea of menstrual cup, studied in detail about it, and sought expert advice. Then the experts told that menstrual cup can be re-used for many years and it is more hygienic.
Menstrual cup myths busted
It is exciting to see how people are joining the circle and switching to the cup. Menstrual cups are being around for a very long time and gained popularity in recent times.
Menstrual cups are made of medical-grade silicone, rubber, or plastic and are usually reusable which makes them a better option over sanitary pads or tampons.
Myths like you can’t use the washroom when wearing a menstrual cup or someone with a heavy period cant use a menstrual cup are all literally myths that are circulating online. Menstrual cup holds much more flow compared to tampons and pads.
Menstrual cups are also cost-effective and environment-friendly compared to different menstrual products, hence making them a better option.
Some 70% of women who have tried menstrual cups say they would like to continue using them, this is according to a study published by The Lancet Public Health.
And according to a Lancet study, there are 199 brands of menstrual cups available in 99 countries but awareness is low.
Still, in this 21st century, menstruation is considered a taboo topic and is dubbed as unclean and dirty in most parts of rural India.
However, changes can be seen slowly. Data from the National Family Health Survey has shown that menstrual hygiene has improved between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
