Teachers' Body Renews Call for Free Sanitary Pads; Says Court Order Must Force Govt Hand
The federation pointed out that many schools still lacked basic facilities and forced girls to go without adequate drinking water: Reports
HYDERABAD: The Telangana United Teachers Federation welcomed the Supreme Court ruling that recognises menstrual health as a fundamental right and places it within the right to life and the right to education, and asked the Centre and the state government to act on the verdict.
In a statement, federation state president Chava Ravi, general secretary A. Venkat, vice-president CH Durgabhavani and women’s wing convener R Sharada, said the ruling laid bare the long-standing neglect of girls’ health and hygiene in government schools.
The federation pointed out that many schools still lacked basic facilities and forced girls to go without adequate drinking water. This has led to health problems during menstruation and beyond. Claims of spending large sums on education, the statement added, have remained limited to announcements and budget lines.
Several schools still do not have separate toilets for boys and girls, which the federation said shows a lack of concern within the government. They said that the federation had for several years sought free sanitary pads for girls in government schools, but authorities had responded only sporadically. In that context, the federation said the ruling makes governments answerable. It noted that schemes such as the mid-day meal programme and school toilet construction had moved forward earlier after court directions.
The federation said the ruling could reduce absenteeism and dropouts among girl students and called on the Centre and the State to act on the judgment in good faith.
