OdishaPlus Bureau
Periods are a natural bodily process that adolescent girls and women experience every month from menarche to menopause. However, due to various myths, stigma & discrimination that are prevailing in the society, many go through periods pain and hesitate to talk about it.
IFI Foundation in collaboration with OdishaLIVE, and Swasthya Plus is running a digital media campaign to raise awareness about menstruation among Odisha’s adolescent boys & girls, women, and masses. With titled ‘Let’s Talk Periods’, the campaign on the eve of ‘World Menstrual Hygiene Day’ observed annually on May 28, is active from 22-31 May, 2024, over a span of 10 days.
As part of this campaign, ‘Menarche to Menopause’, a video series addressing the significant stages in a woman’s life, has been produced. The series includes facts & information along with doctors’ advice, and is being posted & disseminated on various web & social channels of IFI Foundation, Swasthya Plus, and OdishaLIVE including YouTube, Facebook, X, and Instagram etc. under the collaboration.
“As IFI joins hand with OdishaLIVE and Swasthya Plus to observe Menstrual Hygiene Day, we emphasise that menstrual health is a critical issue that deserves attention every day of the year. This collaboration aims to support efforts to end the stigma surrounding menstruation. Women and girls worldwide need and deserve access to the resources and education to live healthy lives and realise their dreams. By fostering an environment of understanding and support, together, we can create a world where every menstruator can thrive in work and life!” says Sidharth Rath, Campaign Director, & Executive Director, IFI Foundation.
The multimedia contents designed & curated for this campaign deliver various messages on spreading awareness on menstruation covering diverse aspects like knowing the bodily process, importance of menstrual hygiene management, issues relating to menstrual health and their treatments, as well as dispelling various superstitions surrounding it.
The campaign specifically aims to empower the youth of Odisha with the right information available on digital media upon periods and encourage them to openly discuss on the subject as rightly the campaign titled “Let’s Talk Periods”. Thus, it highlights the menarche experiences & messages of prominent social workers, celebrities, and media personalities.
‘World Menstrual Hygiene Day’ campaign was initiated a decade ago by ‘WASH United’ to raise global awareness about menstruation and pulling all the stakeholders together including government, policymakers, civil society, media, parents & the society at large. This year’s campaign theme ‘Together for a Period Friendly World’ pronounces the importance of spreading the message of making menstruation a normal phase of life for all women.
