Ensure Uninterrupted Supply Of Sanitary Napkins For Female Students In Govt Schools: Delhi HC To Delhi Government
When I look back at my school days, I remember moments when I would have to ask around for a sanitary napkin for a friend or a classmate or for myself when Aunt Flow came unannounced. It’s not like we had period tracking apps back in those days. We just had to rely on our memory and our body to tell when periods were around the corner. And to have your periods come unannounced during school was extremely stressful, especially since we were all young inexperienced girls and had no clue as to how to handle a staining disaster in times that weren’t very woke. But over the years, things have gotten much better for girls though we still have a long way to go. And this judgement is the proof. In a recent case, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi government to ensure that the female students in government schools under the Kishori Yojana Scheme have an uninterrupted supply of sanitary napkins.
A bench of Cheif Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad were hearing a petition by NGO Social Jurist which claimed that the Directorate of Education (DoE) has not been providing sanitary napkins to the female students of Delhi government schools under the Kishori Yojana Scheme since January 2021. The Delhi government informed the court that an e-tender for the supply of sanitary napkins to the government schools and government aided-schools has been floating around and is at an advanced stage. The counsel for the government further informed the court that in compliance with the court’s earlier order, the concerned heads of the schools, Deputy Director of Education and all other concerned officials have been sensitised regarding the matter and funds have been provided to them to procure sanitary pads from the government e-marketplace for distribution to the female students of classes 6 to 12 from July 2022 onwards.
Taking note of the same the Delhi High Court stated that since interim arrangements have been made, the petition does not require any further orders. While disposing the plea, the court directed the government to ensure that in future there is an uninterrupted supply of sanitary napkins to the female students under the scheme.
Also Read: Is Your Sanitary Napkin Causing Rashes? 6 Tips To Deal With Pad Rash During Your Periods
For the unversed, under the Kishori Yojana Scheme, the government provides female students with sanitary napkins to maintain their hygiene and general health and reduce any challenges that come in the way of their education. But since January 2021, the distribution had stopped causing immense discomfort to the female students. In its petition, the NGO had claimed that not providing sanitary napkin facility is not only irrational but unreasonable, arbitrary and violative of the fundamental rights of the female students under the right to education guaranteed under the Indian Constitution as well as under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act and Delhi School Education Act. According to a report by Outlook India, the petition further claimed that the restoration of sanitary napkin facility is essential for the female students for their hygiene and general health as its absence has an adverse effect on their education and attendance as well.
First Published: July 06, 2022 10:17 PM
