Keywords: National Policy, Menstrual Hygiene, Supreme Court, Submit Responses, 31 August
On Monday, the Supreme Court issued a directive to all States and Union Territories, asking them to submit their individual menstrual hygiene policies to the Union Government. The deadline for submitting these responses is set for August 31, 2023. The court’s decision came in response to a plea seeking improved menstrual hygiene for school-going girls across the country.
Earlier, the court had instructed the central government to formulate a National Policy on menstrual hygiene, with a focus on ensuring affordable sanitary napkins and proper disposal systems in schools. To facilitate this, the States and Union Territories were given a four-week deadline to present their respective menstrual hygiene policies to the Union.
During the court proceedings yesterday, ASG Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Union Government, informed that they had only received responses from four states: Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. She urged the court to promptly direct the remaining States and Union Territories to submit their responses. In response to the situation, CJI DY Chandrachud, while dictating the order, stated that…
“We direct all States and Union Territories to file responses in the matter by August 31, 2023. A copy of this order shall be made available to all the Chief Secretaries of the States & UTs. In case this order is not complied with, this court will have to take recourse to the coercive arm of law. List the matter in the second week of November.”
The bench reviewed a petition seeking directives from the Union of India, States, and Union Territories to implement various measures, including providing sanitary pads to girls in grades 6 to 12 and establishing separate toilets for girls in all government, government-aided schools, and residential schools.
The petition highlighted that the lack of proper Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) facilities created a significant barrier to education, leading many girls to drop out of school due to inadequate access to sanitation facilities, menstrual products, and the social stigma associated with menstruation.
Lisa Gupta, NUSRL, Ranchi, Semester 3, an intern under Legal Vidhiya
