· More than 80 percent of the menstruating population has experienced some form of negative emotion such as fear, anxiety during their first period
· More than 50 per cent of women rely on their mothers as the primary source of information about menstrual hygiene
· Majority of men seem to rely on social media sources about information on periods
· Only 24 per cent of the respondents felt comfortable discussing about their periods within their family
· Menstruation has a direct relation to a woman’s productivity with 70 per cent women admitting experiencing cramps and tiredness at work
· 75% of those who menstruate don’t feel comfortable to discuss menstruation with their family
New Delhi, 27 May, 2020: On the eve of Menstrual Hygiene Day, Youth Ki Awaaz in collaboration with Water, Supply & Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) has published findings from an online survey it conducted on the issue of menstrual health & hygiene. The survey which was launched online in September 2019 and conducted over a period of 12 weeks gathered responses from young Indians in the categories of awareness on menstrual hygiene, taboos, perceptions and attitudes towards periods in India.
The survey collected a total over 11,161 responses (in Hindi and English) and gathered preferences from respondents on issues of product usage, productivity at the workplace; cultural practices and beliefs and explored the intersections around menstrual hygiene and health, gender, emotional and mental well-being etc.
An online questionnaire comprising 35 questions was created to gather responses covering a wide range of demographics, geographies (over 29 states and 5 UTs) and a section of the non-menstruating population too.
The respondents of the survey were primarily female, constituting 74.3 percent respondents, followed by 22 percent respondents identifying as Male. The remaining identified themselves as Non-binary, Trans and those who didn’t prefer to specify.
This survey offers the opportunity to become a strong stepping stone to help build relevant interventions in the menstrual health and hygiene sector in India. It is the first time a survey of this magnitude offers insight into what young people aged 18-22 think of issues around menstrual hygiene with over 38 percent of respondents falling in this age group. The survey brings to light some of the most comprehensive and relevant insights covering a varied range of aspects including emotional quotient of the menstruator and people around her and work productivity during menstruation.
The survey is a part of a larger campaign spanning 18 months called #PeriodPaath that Youth Ki Awaaz has been running in partnership with the WSSCC to engage youth voices on the issue of menstrual hygiene and well-being. WSSCC is an intergovernmental organisation based out of Geneva, Switzerland which is working towards advancing access to sanitation and hygiene rights across the globe.
The idea behind the survey was to dig deeper into how young people perceive menstrual hygiene and gauge their attitudes, which can help further inform decision making process by policy makers. Through this, the campaign has also reached an audience of 1.4 Million people via social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
Some of the findings from the survey highlighted key areas that need to be addressed:
1. Sustainable menstrual hygiene products: Almost 71 per cent of those who responded agreed to using non-biodegradable sanitary napkins and almost 63 per cent recognised that it is harmful for the environment. But affordability and the issue of trust, remained a barrier in menstruators making a clear switch to biodegradable alternatives.
2. Young people are more open to conversation around menstrual hygiene. More than 28 percent respondents in the age group of 18-22 said they were comfortable speaking about menstruation while only 27 percent agreed to that in the age group of 23-25 years.
3. Negative emotions associated with first periods: Fear and anxiety were the dominant negative emotions for the women experiencing their first period with more than 23 per cent respondents opting for that.
4. Need for a relook at menstrual leave policy: Almost 41 per cent of the respondents were in favour of introducing a Bill in Parliament around the menstrual leave.
5. Cultural taboos exist: Almost 49.2 per cent respondents admitted that they have heard activities like “Praying” should be avoided during Periods. And 51.1 per cent respondents admitted they have been isolated or excluded from an event because of menstruation.
6. Lack of diversity around menstrual hygiene in India: More than 47 per cent respondents felt that menstruation is a “women’s only issue”. The majority were not aware that periods is also a non-binary and Trans men issue. So much so, that only 10 per cent respondents felt that the needs of non-binary and trans population are being met around menstrual hygiene.
Anshul Tewari, Founder, Youth Ki Awaaz said, “It is not surprising that there is a complete lack of an inclusive dialogue around menstrual hygiene and informed product choices. This survey shows, for the first time, how young people feel about this issue. We hope that this data can become a template for meaningful policy dialogue and action that can help us create a more structural, systemic change for menstruating people across the country.”
Sue Coates, Executive Director, a.i. at WSSCC, said, “This survey gives a very detailed perspective on what young people in India feel about the issue of menstruation and periods besides taboos and stigmas. We are glad to have partnered with Youth Ki Awaaz for this campaign and we hope the findings of this survey will help to create a more active dialogue and conversation around the need for informed and inclusive policy making around menstrual health & hygiene."
About Youth Ki Awaaz:
Youth Ki Awaaz (YKA) is India’s largest, crowd sourced citizen-led platform that engages young people on key social justice issues at scale. The YKA community represents young India’s voice on critical issues shaping our world. With over 90,000 young, citizen writers and 4 million monthly readers, YKA enables young people to address and engage on important social justice issues that matter to them - through powerful storytelling and media creation.
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