‘Menstruation a big taboo in Assam, time to bust myths’, says Assam Branch Indian Tea association secretary Madhurjya Barooah in Dibrugarh

Our Correspondent

Dibrugarh: Menstrual Hygiene Day is a day especially celebrated to create a world where every woman and girl is empowered to manage her menstruation safely hygienically with confidence and without shame, where no girl and woman is limited by something as natural and normal as her period. It is a great annual event focussing on the issues of menstruation and trying to solve them completely.

This year the theme for Menstrual Hygiene Day is ‘It’s time for action’. ABITA-UNICEF celebrated Menstrual Hygiene Day in various tea gardens under the Assam Branch Indian Tea association (ABITA) with an aim to make the tea garden community aware about menstrual hygiene management and this year’s theme. The objective of the campaign was that every adolescent girl and woman, and their families, including men and adolescent boys, must have awareness, knowledge and information so that menstruation is understood and can be managed safely with confidence and dignity.

Total 69 tea estates of ABITA Zone 1 covering three districts – Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Sivasagar participated in the event. On the other hand, the team also participated in the Red Dot challenge which aims to share facts and bust myths and taboos around menstruation.

On the occasion of Menstrual Hygiene Month, ABITA –UNICEF celebrated a week-long programme on menstrual hygiene management through various activities like awareness programme on MHM, drawing competition, rally, essay competition, slogan writing, WASH awareness and street plays.

In this connection, Madhurjya Barooah, secretary of ABITA zone 1, said, “In Assam not only in the tea gardens but as whole menstruation is a big taboo which is a big challenge for us. Because of the shame, misconceptions, myths and traditional practices, women and adolescent girls are affected by poor menstrual hygiene. Our overall aim is to support the adolescent girls and women by providing basic information of menstruation such as hygiene management myths and taboo-related issues. We are also trying to create a menstrual hygiene management friendly environment within the tea garden.”

In collaboration with district administration, certificates were provided to the best three participants by the Deputy Commissioner of Dibrugarh. A total of more than 5,000 people were covered during the Menstrual Hygiene Management Week in the entire Zone 1. During the Menstrual Hygiene Week, more than 3,850 adolescent girls were empowered through period education in ABITA zone 1.

Also read: Assam news