Highlights
- Menstrual Hygiene Day is marked on May 28 every year
- Red Dot Challenge, an annual campaign, raises awareness about menstruation
- The campaign involves sharing a black and white photo with red dot on palm
New Delhi: Every month, 1.8 billion people across the world menstruate. Millions of these girls, women, transgender men and non-binary persons are unable to manage their menstrual cycle in a dignified, healthy way, states UNICEF. тАЬEven in the best of times, gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, cultural taboos, poverty and lack of basic services often cause menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) needs to go unmet. In emergencies, these deprivations can be exacerbated. The result is far-reaching negative impacts on the lives of those who menstruate, including restricting mobility, freedom and choices; reducing participation in school, work and community life; compromising safety; and causing stress and anxietyтАЭ, states UNICEFтАЩs brief on mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and menstrual health and hygiene.
Also Read:┬аOpinion: Safeguarding Menstrual Health During A Pandemic
As per UNICEF, reduced accessibility of MHH supplies due to a reduction in available income and mobility restrictions leading to an increase in vulnerability of menstruators to those control resources, which may lead to negative coping strategies, ranging from the use of alternative, home-made MHH supplies which may cause reproductive infections to sexual exploitation in an effort to access menstrual products. In an attempt to raise awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene, every year Post For Change, a non-profit organisation that uses social media to tackle important social and global matters related to the UN Sustainable Development Goal on Gender Equality┬аpartners with UNICEF India around Menstrual Hygiene Day celebrated on May 28. Together, the two organisations initiate тАШRed Dot ChallengeтАЩ, a social media campaign to spread the message of menstrual hygiene.
Also Read:┬аMenstrual Hygiene Day 2021: Five Things To Know
In a run-up to Menstrual Hygiene Day, #RedDotChallenge 2021 was initiated on May 25 with the first post by Dipa Khosla, Founder, Post For Change. With a mask on her face and a red dot on her palm, Ms Khosla posted her black and white picture and shared the details of the campaign in the caption. She wrote, тАЬEach year we work with IndiaтАЩs greatest influencers who help to show the power of influence and spread the message even further. While this year is no different, our team acknowledges that the pandemic had made this year much harder on all of our communities. Therefore our #reddotchallenge aims to respect this by doing twofold: raising awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene, as well continuing to take care of ourselves and others by curbing the spread of COVID-19.тАЭ
Ms Khosla urged netizens to join the challenge and take a stand so that girls around the world no longer feel ashamed about their menstrual cycle. To participate, one needs to take a black and white photo of them in a mask and place a red dot on their palm.
тАЬWe can make a change togetherтАЭ, said Ms Khosla.
Celebrities And Netizens Join The #RedDotChallenge
TV actor Jennifer Winget is the first celebrity to join the #RedDotChallenge this year. Pledging her support to the campaign, Ms Winget shared her picture on Instagram and wrote, тАЬTimes are tough, Use your voice, Period!тАЭ
Entrepreneur Ankita Bansal too joined the bandwagon and shared an anecdote from an all-womenтАЩs panel where the issue of menstruation, a natural cycle, was raised by a woman. Ms Bansal wrote, тАЬA woman said, тАЬWe are not scared of the blood that is shed by warriors but we worry about the blood that comes out of a womanтАЩs body as a natural phenomenon.тАЭ This stayed with me. It has made me further wonder and question so many societal constructs weтАЩve been made to believe as our reality, things I usually anyway also go around challenging.тАЭ
Ms Bansal further said that itтАЩs time to be difficult and be more vocal about issues that are termed тАШunfitтАЩ as public conversations. Ms Bansal urged to not be ashamed of menstruation and wrote, тАЬI will be safe and I will not be shamed.тАЭ
Also Read:┬аBook Excerpt: тАШWhatтАЩs Up With Me?тАЩ By Actor Tisca Chopra
Indian Fashion Blogger Masoom Minawala Mehta also lent her support to the campaign and asked people to embrace the menstrual cycle as тАШit is what makes us, us.тАЩ Sharing her picture on social media, Ms Mehta wrote, тАЬIf there is one thing that COVID has taught us, it is that we all have that golden touch of humanity alive, letтАЩs keep it thriving and shining. LetтАЩs not shame, bring down or ridicule – our period. Period!тАЭ
Joining the campaign, Air India Captain Zoya Agarwal urged people to come together and raise their voices “so that women around the world no longer feel ashamed about their menstrual cycles.”
Actor Megha Gupta made a similar appeal and asked people to use their voices in these tough times.
Digital creator Maia Sethna Malhotra too decided to take a stand тАЬso that women around the world no longer feel ashamed about their menstrual cycles.тАЭ
Also Read:┬аSurvey Finds Women In India Had Irregular Gap In Menstrual Cycle During COVID-19
An Instagram user questioned the practice of wrapping a pack of sanitary napkins in a black plastic bag or newspapers. The user wrote, тАЬI am proud of what a woman’s body is capable of. We need to get rid of the stigma around periods.тАЭ
Another user called out the problem of poor menstrual hygiene and said, тАЬThe intention is to get rid of this uncomfortable state and to take care of yourself with proper hygiene during menstruation.тАЭ
Here Are Some More Posts By Netizens Supporting The Campaign
In these difficult & uncertain times, I stand with @Post4Change @unicefindia and pledge that I'll be safe & ensure others are safe too.
Because I believe we can bring a CHANGE together. тЭд
So that I am raising awareness.#reddotchallenge #femalehygiene @jenwinget @HeForShe pic.twitter.com/7VQsPG6YEz— Umesh Pansari (@UmeshPansari1) May 26, 2021
End the stigma. Period.@Stand4she #UNICEF #reddotchallenge #menstruationmatters #unicefindia #takeastand #MenstrualHygieneDay #bethechange #changemakers #sanitation #Hygiene pic.twitter.com/W1HMd8o52m
— Shashank L Pathy (@ShashankLPathy) May 25, 2021
In these difficult & uncertain times, I stand with @post.for.change @unicefindia and pledge that I'll be safe & ensure others are safe too.
Because I believe we can bring a CHANGE together. тЭд#reddotchallenge #femalehygiene pic.twitter.com/obpYrpyadV
— Varsha Banerjee (@VarshaBanerjee1) May 25, 2021
Also Read:┬аLetтАЩs Talk Menstruation Say Girls In This Bihar Village
NDTV тАУ Dettol┬аBanega Swasth India┬аcampaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega┬аSwachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador┬аAmitabh Bachchan. It┬аaims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country.┬аIn wake of the current┬аCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,┬аSanitation┬аand┬аHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases.┬аThe campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent┬аmaternal and child mortality,┬аfight┬аmalnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through┬аvaccines. Importance of programmes like┬аPublic Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan┬аand the role of┬аAganwadis and ASHA workers┬аare also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where┬аtoilets┬аare used and┬аopen defecation free (ODF)┬аstatus achieved as part of the┬аSwachh Bharat Abhiyan┬аlaunched by┬аPrime Minister Narendra Modi┬аin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like┬аair pollution,┬аwaste management,┬аplastic ban,┬аmanual scavenging┬аand sanitation workers┬аand┬аmenstrual hygiene.┬а
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