300 students receive sanitary pads at awareness programme

Mangaluru: As many as 300 girl students studying in Govt First Grade College (GFGC), PU govt college, and high school in Kavoor received a pack of sanitary pads (each pack containing 12 pads) free of cost at an awareness programme on menstrual health and hygiene. The event was organised by the Women Research Centre and the Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) at the hall in the GFGC premises recently."Such awareness programmes on menstrual health and free distribution of pads will be organised once every two months throughout the year. The entire cost of organising the awareness programmes and free distribution of pads was sponsored by a US-based couple, Vinay Kumar and Dr Sowmya Rao, and a non-govt organisation, Code Crimson," informed Prameela Rao of the Women Research Centre.The couple also sponsored a six-month free computer training programme for students, Prameela said. GFGC principal Dr Geetha ML, presiding over the programme, urged students to use the pads, which are biodegradable. Earlier, joint director of the department of collegiate education, Regional Office, Mangaluru, Kavitha KR, inaugurating the programme, said the donors' act of kindness should inspire students to become role models in society."After scaling great heights, students should also give back to society in the future," Kavitha emphasised. One of the sponsors, Dr Sowmya Rao, obtained her engineering degree in India and later obtained a degree in dentistry in the USA. Thus, Dr Sowmya Rao is truly a role model, Kavitha said. "The number of women entering the workforce increased from 11% to 48%. More women should come up and become role models," she stressed.The joint director hailed the practice of motivating girl students to highlight their grievances with the help of a pink box installed in the college. It was one such grievance about the myths surrounding menstruation that prompted the college to organise an awareness programme on menstrual hygiene. "Thus, expressing is very important to find solutions for problems in society," she said.Dr Ankita Sarkar, serving as assistant superintendent at the Mumbai-based Tata Memorial Hospital, and her sister Anuja Sarkar from Code Crimson, addressed students and dispelled myths about menstruation, the need to change pads once every four hours, the importance of period tracking, and the impact of improper disposal of used pads. "Periods are natural," Dr Ankita and Anuja stressed.