Daan Utsav is held every year from October 2 to 8. It is a special week of giving in India where people from all walks of life come together to celebrate the joy of giving. This year, Smile Foundation is celebrating Daan Utsav 2022 through the ‘Give A Smile’ festival.
Impact of ‘Give a Smile’ during Daan Utsav
A cluster learning session at Smile Foundation’s centre. Photo by ARIJIT SEN
All funds raised by Smile Foundation from the festival this year will go towards the Shiksha Na Ruke campaign. The goal is to raise awareness and support the education of over 50,000 children who are currently enrolled at our centres. The campaign also aims to reach out to another 50,000 children living in difficult circumstances across the country and bring them under the fold of education through the blended learning approach.
How does it work
Students during a cluster learning session amid COVID pandemic. Photo by ARIJIT SEN
In today’s time, employer branding is a vital aspect of conducting an efficient business. Employees too want to be part of something bigger and a socially aware and sensitive organization provides that.
The ‘Give a Smile’ Festival is an opportunity to show your social commitment. And institutions can do this while engaging their employees in constructive and enjoyable ways. Instead of being passive onlookers, this is a chance for employees to become active participants. As organizations spearhead the campaign, their employees become agents of change in the lives of underprivileged children.
Each entry can make a difference
Organizations and employees can contribute to bringing about a positive change in the life of an underprivileged child. The ‘Give a Smile’ Festival takes place over a month and culminates in a finale celebration on 7‑8 October 2021. We have organized over 25 different engagement activities and competitions for employees and their families.
For each activity, an employee can make a voluntary contribution in the form of the participation fee. All donations to Smile Foundation are 50% tax exempted under Section 80G of the IT Act.
There are also special award categories for corporate.
Smile-a-thon Championship – The corporate with the maximum number of awards
‘Give a Smile’ Festival Championship – The corporate with the highest number of participants.
Companies such as Birlasoft, R1RCM, Mastek Foundation, SBI Card, and Cosmos Maya Animations have already partnered with Smile Foundation for this initiative.
Thought behind Daan Utsav
Like any other festival in India, Daan Utsav is also celebrated with much fanfare. But this is one of the few festivals which do not have any religious or mythological context. Rather, it is all about sharing what you have with those who are less privileged.
The inception of Daan Utsav can be traced back to 2009. Since then, it begins every year on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, 2 October, and culminates a week later. The participants of this grand festival are not restricted in any way. Entrepreneurs and CEOs, companies and employees, parents and children, schools and colleges, all participate in the festival of giving.
The Union Cabinet of India approved the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) on 29 July 2020. It defines the goal for India’s new education system. The new policy has replaced the 1986 National Policy on Education. In both rural and urban India, the program provides a comprehensive framework for education. This includes basic through higher education as well as vocational training. The initiative seeks to completely restructure India’s educational system by 2040.
When the policy was announced, there was some confusion as to the medium of instruction. The administration confirmed shortly that no one will be forced to study any particular language. Moreover, it will not be necessary to change the medium of teaching from English to any regional language. Rather than strict rules, the NEP suggests guidelines that are advisory in nature. States, organizations, and schools can decide how to implement it.
Origins of the policy
A group led by former Cabinet Secretary T. S. R. Subramanian began the consultation process for the New Education Policy in January 2015. Former ISRO chief, Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, released a draft NEP in 2019 based on the committee report from June 2017. The Ministry of Human Resource Development later announced the Draft New Education Policy (DNEP) 2019, which was followed by a series of public discussions. The NEP Draft was 484 pages in length. “Over two lakh proposals were received from 2.5 lakh gram panchayats, 6,600 blocks, 6,000 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and 676 districts,” according to the Ministry.
Vision of National Education Policy
National Education Policy 2020 envisions an India-centric education system. By delivering high-quality education to all, it contributes directly to our nation’s long-term transformation towards an equal and thriving knowledge society.
The NEP 2020 includes numerous reforms to India’s education policy. It aspires to increase public education spending from around 3% to 6% of GDP as soon as possible.
The policy amplifies the use of native or local languages as a language of instruction until Class 5, with the recommendation that it be maintained until Class 8 and beyond. Sanskrit and foreign languages will be given priority as well. Under the guidelines of the policy, all pupils should learn three languages at school. At least two of the three languages must be Indian native languages. It also stipulates that the pupils will not be forced to learn a language.
When it comes to teachers and teacher education, NEP 2020 proposes a number of policy adjustments. By 2030, a 4-year Bachelor of Education will be the minimum prerequisite for becoming a teacher. In addition, there will be improvements and transparency in the teacher-recruiting process. By 2021, the National Council for Teacher Education will draft a National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education. And by 2022, the National Council for Teacher Education will draft a National Professional Standards for Teachers. The policy aspires to ensure that all teachers are passionate, motivated, highly qualified, professionally educated, and well-equipped teachers at all levels of schooling.
Latest developments in National Education Policy 2020
On 21 September 2021, the Union Education Ministry formed a 12-member national steering group. This group seeks to establish a new national curriculum framework (NCF) in accordance with NEP 2020. K Kasturirangan, who previously led the NEP 2020 drafting group, is chairing this committee.
Latest reports suggest that a tech platform will also be set up to accept inputs from states at the district and block levels. The suggestions gathered through the platform will be taken into account by the committee for drafting the framework.
The committee will finalise the framework only after the committee takes into account comments from numerous stakeholders. These include states and union territories, the NCERT’s Executive Committee (EC) and General Body (GB), and the Central Advisory Board on Education (CABE). The NCERT Director will work with the committee to finish its module.
Prenatal (or antenatal) care is the first step towards the good health of the mother and child. It refers to the regular medical care recommended for women during pregnancy. Prenatal care is important during pregnancy to ensure that doctors or midwives can treat any potential health problems and mitigate any avoidable health issues. It benefits both the mother as well as the baby. All women need access to prenatal care during pregnancy. Skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth also play vital roles for the good health of the baby and mother.
What does prenatal care include?
It includes a range of measures including, but not limited to:
Monthly doctor visit during the first two trimesters (from week 1–28)
Fortnightly doctor visit from 28th week to 36th week of pregnancy
Weekly visits after week 36
Physical examinations as part of prenatal care consist of medical examination of the expecting mother as well her primary caregiver.
Ultrasounds are an important diagnostic test that must be conducted during pregnancy. As they are consideredquite safe, they are widely used to monitor the health of both mother and fetus. The ultrasound test is used to check a number of things.
Multiple fetuses
Possible risks to the mother and child
Fetal malformation (such as club foot, cleft palate, clenched fists)
To monitor the development of the fetus
Determine due date
Government interventions for prenatal care
The Government of India recommends that every pregnant woman must make at least four visits for prenatal care over the course of her pregnancy. Initiatives to improve maternal health have also been started by the government. As a result, the rate of preventable maternal death rates has gone down considerably.
As per UNICEF, the number of women and girls who die each year due to issues related to pregnancy and childbirth has dropped considerably on the global scale. There has been a 38 per cent decrease, from 451,000 in 2000 to 295,000 in 2017.
However, there still remain considerable gaps in terms of knowledge, availability of resources, and policies. There are also gaps between the urban and rural, and the rich and poor. Economic circumstances play a huge role in the access to healthcare services.
Smile Foundation’s impact through Swabhiman
The Swabhiman programme works with women of various ages and circumstances, including pregnant and lactating women. As part of this programme, we also conduct workshops, awareness campaigns, and IEC activities with small groups of women as per community requirements.
The workshop at Alwar
As per data collected from the intervention areas in Alwar and Greater Noida, women have very poor health indicators and cannot access government health institutes easily. The main issue for women in these communities is that they don’t understand the importance of a balanced diet for their own and their child’s health. Some of the discussions with pregnant woman revealed that they were not taking adequate diet. Based on this data, we organised a low-cost recipe demo workshop in marginalised communities of Banbeerpur and Karoli of Alwar district. Women were trained on how to make meals that are tasty as well as healthy using easily available household items.
Interventions like these help women understand why prenatal care is important for both mother and child.
Children are the backbone of our country.” We have heard these words on several occasions in different forums and conversations. However, how can children be the backbone of our nation if we are not able to engage them in the learning and systematic growth of mental and physical well-being? The government’s National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy Bharat scheme is aiming to do just that. And Smile Foundation is actively working on NIPUN Bharat through the Mission Education programme.
Data on foundational learning
A beneficiary of Mission Education programme.
Research shows that 90% of brain growth occurs by the age of 5. This means that the quality of early childhood education has a crucial impact on development. The ongoing pandemic has widened the learning gaps for not having digital devices among children especially in the underserved community.
The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2019 revealed that only 16% of children in Class 1 can read the prescribed text. Almost 40% cannot even recognize letters. This report shocked us about the learning progress of children at the primary level. Foundational learning support at the primary level is the key to all future learning for a child. Not being able to achieve these basic foundational skills of reading with basic comprehension, writing, and doing basic mathematics operations leaves the child unprepared for the complexities of the curriculum in the future. This may decrease the interest of the students in the school curriculum and lead to increased drop out rate.
The NIPUN Bharat Scheme
The “National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy” (NIPUN Bharat) is being set up by the education department of Government of India. The purpose is to secure school retention and ensure learning of the children. Additionally, the scheme also seeks universal acquisition of foundational literacy and numeracy skills for every child by the end of grade 3. The target year for achieving this goal is 2026-27.
COVID-enforced school closure for almost two years has greatly affected learning and cognitive development of children. We all need to address this at the earliest. We need to work on this mission on a war footing and leave no stone unturned.
NIPUN Bharat through Mission Education
Smile Foundation is dedicated to the education of children. Thus, we have taken all possible steps to connect with students through various means. Community-based cluster classes, apps-based learning support, visiting homes, and sharing worksheets through offline and online modes are some of the methods we have employed. We have been working with 49,000 children, largely first-generation learners in the underserved communities, through 240 Mission Education centres across 22 States and Union Territories. The children need regular follow-ups, motivation to continue their education, guidance to pursue their dreams, and empathy in communication. Disconnection from education would mean a learning loss for thousands of children.
Mission Education cluster classes towards NIPUN Bharat goals.
We have been working and promoting activity-based teaching support in curricular and co-curricular activities. Community-based trained teachers are helping us to implement this. This will help children improve their communication skills and also become well-versed in the subjects taught. These centres are located in the interior places of tribal and rural communities across the country. In these areas children have less exposure and guidance for holistic development. The Mission Education centres also feel proud to support the NIPUN Bharat scheme to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy.
“Schools to be reopened,“ screams one newspaper headline. “Students from IXth upwards to start school twice a week,” declares another. “Third corona wave to be amongst children as they are the non-vaccinated group”, announces a third one. Amid this, one is left wondering whether blended teaching and learning is successful or not.
These kind of headlines and news articles leave school communities in a quandary. They are forced to question their own COVID SOPs for the nth time. Principles and teachers are still going back to their drawing boards to brainstorm and figure out the way forward. This includes education, learning, and the entire business of it all.
Child for Child’s ‘Best Practices’ digital mee
A teacher using online mode of teaching.
This background highlights the consternation amongst the school fraternity. The Child for Child programme decided to connect with as many heads of schools as possible. The purpose was to bring them on a common platform and arrive at some semblance of sanity about the way forward for education. The topic for the online principals meet was “Best practices followed by schools in blended form of learning and teaching”. This theme resonated very well with how the world views the future of education. It also covers how schools can prepare for the future, keeping a mix of online and offline elements in both teaching and learning.
Insights on blending teaching and learning
Principals were invited from across different regions. They all helped get an understanding of how different schools were dealing with the COVID situation. Apart from this, they shared their preparation for welcoming students and teachers back to school. They all initially shared insights from a year of blended learning and teaching during the pandemic.The past one year has brought immense learnings for every member of the school fraternity. Teachers, principals, students, and their parents are currently more comfortably placed. They are far better skilled digitally and have also procured devices and gadgets that facilitate education almost seamlessly.
Teachers are better placed when it comes to dealing with “zoom bombers”, absentees, off videos, and inattentive students. Children have also accepted digital classrooms with gusto. They have become more disciplined and adept at submitting their assignments while managing their friends in the chat rooms. Parents are also more aware and more comfortable with online learning after a year. Their presence during classes has reduced, their misgivings are addressed more quickly. Now they have accepted that digital is here to stay in some form or the other. Even the school staff started going to school after getting vaccinated to maintain the infrastructure. They are playing a key role in planning the reopening of schools.
Dealing with a pandemic
With all these key elements in place, the discussions veered towards managing schools and education seamlessly amidst a pandemic. Apart from COVID, education also gets disrupted for reasons like school closure due to pollution or an outbreak of a vector-borne disease! It emerged that the blended teaching and learning model could continue even if schools were to reopen fully. Elements of digital education would be integrated in mainstream education.
Dr Kusum Kanwar, a participating principal
The participating principals talked at length about how the school fraternity had risen to the challenge of the pandemic. They have adopted new-gen technology and adapted to the unprecedented situation in an unbelievably short time period. The teachers have put in a lot of hard work. And the tech teams have managed to put together an ecosystem for flawless teaching and learning.
Some schools are now designated as Microsoft-supported schools to maximise the use of MS teams.
Mr. Baljinder, Principal of Dayanand Model School, Nakodar, Punjab, was of the view that the pandemic actually helped his school. They began looking into innovative ways of learning and teaching. For instance, they adopted gamification and used educational apps for certain lessons. They plan to continue using these even after schools reopen completely.
Paving the way forward
Mr. John Bagul, Principal of South City International School, Kolkata
All principals stated that when schools adopt the New Education Policy, they would benefit from the blended teaching and learning methodology. Although it arose due to the pandemic, it ended up removing unnecessary clutter from daily lessons and improved the useful.
It was noted that completely online setup also comes with drawbacks. In the offline mode, children learn a lot from being present on school premises. They get to interact with their teachers and friends and can also make effective use of the in-campus sports infrastructure.
Mr. John Bagul, Principal of South City International School, Kolkata, mentioned that his school was using Promethean Interactive Whiteboards. They had encrypted security. The school also focuses a lot on mental well-being of everyone to ensure that students do not become socially awkward during the time spent away from home.
International School Fraternity
There were a few heads of institutions from Indonesia and Uganda as well. They shared stories of how the COVID situation in their countries had brought school infrastructure to its knees. They also shared their learnings outside the classroom. Dr. Ni Putu Tirka Widanti, President of Yayasan Green School, Bali, Indonesia, gave a virtual tour of her school’s eco-friendly campus. She also shared that her residential students often took many sessions online even pre-pandemic while also picking up from green schooling philosophy of “Learning from Nature”.This blended form of learning helped her school fraternity move completely online without any issue.
Smile Foundation showing the way ahead
The participants appreciated Smile Foundation for playing the role of a facilitator of such think tanks. The Child for Child team hopes to continue ideating such meets amongst school fraternity. We want to ensure that education continues–online, offline or in a blended form with best practices!
The panel discussions were not only riveting to listen to but there was also a huge amount of learning for the principals and heads of institutions from each other during the meet. They reiterated how a blended form of education would be the new way of teaching and learning.
International Literacy Day is celebrated on 8 September every year. It reminds the global community about the importance of literacy for everyone, including individuals, communities, and societies. It also aims to push for more intensified efforts towards more literate societies.
The first International Literacy Day was celebrated in 1967. It began as an initiative to remind the common people about the importance of literacy to ensure dignity and human rights. A more literate society leads towards a more sustainable society.
This day draws attention to the fact that there are still millions of people who struggle to gain literacy even today, let alone receive a formal education. It is meant to create awareness about the importance of literacy, numeracy, and education. These should also be made accessible to those who need it the most.
International Literacy Day being celebrated at a Mission Education centre
Why literacy?
As per UNESCO data, at least 773 million adults worldwide lack basic literacy skills. While children’s education and literacy is often at the centre of the discourse, not many people think about literacy for adults. This is equally important for the development of a society and a nation.
Literacy is one of the key components of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The target of Goal 4 is to ensure that all young people become literate and achieve numeracy. The adults who lack these skills should also get the opportunity to acquire them.
A literate population can open many doors out of poverty and unemployment. It may even open doors for entrepreneurship. Literacy is the first step towards education. Thus, it is futile to undermine the importance of literacy.
International Literacy Day celebrations at Smile Foundation’s centre
Theme for International Literacy Day 2021
As a result of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme for this year is ‘Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide’. The focus of this theme is to explore opportunities to spread an inclusive and technology-based literacy. It is very important to bridge the digital gap that has surfaced as a result of COVID-19.
It is vital to acknowledge that being literate and educated/informed can lead to our personal and professional growth and improve our overall lifestyle. Thus, education is one of the most important aspects of a human being’s development. International Literacy Day 2021 promotes this idea.
A child’s nutrition is the building block of her future health. It is important to nourish children right from the moment they are born. This is why it is vital to breastfeed children. However, there is a lack of correct information around the benefits of breastfeeding. Thus, breastfeeding awareness campaigns play a key role in educating mothers and community members about the importance of breastfeeding.
The government as well as various non-profits and social development organisations have a number of community mobilisation activities to promote awareness about breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding benefits for the baby
Many new mothers may be unsure about breasfeeding their baby. This is possibly due to a lack of awareness or an overdose of confusing information. However, as per medical professionals and researchers, the benefits of breastfeeding are many.
Breast milk is easily digested by babies and it contains the right amount of nutrients. Moreover, as your baby grows, the breast milk’s composition and quantity also change to suit the baby.
It is easily available, even when you are on the go. You do not even need to heat it as it is the correct temperature for your baby.
It helps your child develop immunity against various viruses and bacteria. Thus, babies who breastfeed tend to fall sick less often. Latest studies suggest that lactating mothers who got the COVID-19 vaccine can pass on antibodies to their babies through breast milk.
Breastfeeding promotes healthy weight gain in babies and also helps prevent childhood obesity. In addition to this, breastfed babies self-regulate their milk intake as they consume only as much as they require. This develops healthy eating patterns.
Some studies also suggest that babies who are breastfed are smarter and have higher IQs.
The bond between mother and child is strengthened during breastfeeding.
It helps mothers too!
Elders in the community and family often know about the pros of breastfeeding for the baby. However, very few people are aware about how important and useful it is for the mothers too. Below are a few ways in which it helps mothers.
For many women, breastfeeding helps in losing the extra weight gained during pregnancy. It helps burn calories.
During breastfeeding, the body releases hormone oxytocin. This helps the uterus to contract and go back to the pre-pregnancy size.
Mothers who breastfeed are at lesser risk of post-partum depression, which is very common in new mothers.
Women who breastfeed are at lower risk for many diseases—high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, and breast cancer.
Breastfeeding awareness campaigns are the need of the hour
The World Health Organisation recommends breastfeeding up to 6 to 24 months. In fact, some research even suggests that a baby should be breastfed as early as one hour after birth. Despite this being such a natural thing, there is a hush-hush attitude about breastfeeding. Due to this taboo, women are afraid to ask the necessary questions to educate themselves.
We at Smile Foundation understand the nutrition and health needs of both mother and child. Thus, under our Swabhiman programme, we organise various sessions for underprivileged and at-risk women. For instance, a breastfeeding awareness campaign was recently held in Bengaluru to inform and educate lactating mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding.
The “Innocenti Declaration” was made by the WHO and UNICEF to make lactating mothers aware of the importance of breastfeeding and to revive the good old practice. The declaration states that “all women should be enabled to practice exclusive breastfeeding and all infants should be fed exclusively on breast milk up to 4 to 6 months of age as a global goal for optimal maternal and child health and nutrition”.
Breastfeeding and COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic surged, lactating mothers were concerned about infecting their child in case they got infected. Initially, pregnant and lactating women were not even sure if it was safe for them to take the vaccine.
Now, doctors have clarified that COVID-19 does not spread through breast milk. However, mothers must follow all the necessary precautions while feeding their little ones. For instance, they must wash hands before and after touching the baby, wear a mask, disinfect surfaces, and so on.
It has also been declared that pregnant and lactating women can take the COVID-19 vaccine without risking the health of their baby.
Teacher’s Day is celebrated every year on 5 September in India. It marks the birth anniversary of Dr S. Radhakrishnan, former president of India. As he was a beloved teacher and a favourite with his students, it was decided that his birthday should be celebrated as Teacher’s Day across the country.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, everyone was at a loss on how to deal with the situation. Among the worst affected were students and teachers, especially from the vulnerable communities. Unlike those with means and money, these children were left without any way to continue their education. As a result, the contribution of teachers has been vital to ensure that children’s education continues.
This Teacher’s Day, Smile Foundation salutes the contribution of teachers in these difficult times.
Celebrating innovation on Teacher’s Day
Sonali with a student
Sonali is responsible for teaching the higher classes at a centre for learners with Santhali background. Most of these students are first-generation learners and have a hard time grasping the subjects and topics in the curriculum. Thus, the challenges thrown by COVID threw them for a spin. Learning through online mode was even more difficult for them and was leading to a situation without hope.
Sonali belongs to a simple background and had limited knowledge of the Internet. To overcome this, she printed question papers of every subject and class to circulate among the students. Even under total lockdown, she was part of the team of teachers at food distribution centres distributing worksheets along with dry ration.
Through sheer determination, Sonali has developed a remote learning centre in all the village sin her area. The teachers here give all the students question papers each week, which they need to complete and bring back the next week. The centres maintain all COVID-19 protocols. Through this initiative, Sonali succeeded in maintaining a learning habit amongst students and also spread awareness about COVID-19 in the community. Sonali has proved to be not only a great teacher but also a change agent of the society.
All of us at Smile Foundation salute her grit and determination.
Government efforts exist but face challenges in last-mile delivery and sustained implementation
Integrated approaches, including CSR-NGO partnerships like Smile Foundation’s Swabhiman programme, are critical to ensuring access, awareness and dignity at scale
Indian women are steadily making their mark across the globe from entertainment and sports to academia and financial institutions. Yet, their true potential can only be realised when they have unequivocally equal access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities, just as men do in a truly progressive society. This Menstrual Hygiene Day, it is important to pause and reflect on the everyday challenges that still shape how women, especially in rural and remote communities, are able to manage their menstrual hygiene with dignity.
Menstrual Hygiene: A Multilayered Challenge
Access and Affordability
Women and girls in India face significant challenges in accessing menstrual hygiene products. Out of an estimated 350 million women, aged 12-45, only 12% can afford sanitary towels, highlighting a critical affordability gap in menstrual hygiene.
At a basic level, access to sanitary products, appropriate underwear and related essentials remain a transactional challenge, particularly for low income and rural populations.
Infrastructure and WASH Gaps
India’s fight to eradicate menstrual health challenges for young girls and women in India has been a long battle. With multiple policies to enhance menstrual hygiene management, India has been working towards full proof menstrual management for young girls and women. However, the execution of these policies has still been a challenge. Menstrual hygiene management is further constrained by
Inadequate WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) infrastructure
Lack of safe, private toilets with functional doors
Limited access to clean water
Inadequate disposal mechanisms for menstrual waste
These challenges are especially pronounced in schools, workplaces, public spaces and health centres, with many rural households still lacking access to toilets altogether.
Social Norms and Cultural Barriers
Beyond infrastructure, menstrual hygiene is deeply influenced by social norms and cultural perceptions.
Menstruation continues to be viewed as impure or unclean
A pervasive culture of silence restricts open conversations
Limited awareness impacts both women and men
This environment not only restricts access to information but also undermines the dignity and health of women and girls.
Social and Economic Consequences
The implications of poor menstrual hygiene extend beyond health.
School absenteeism among girls due to lack of facilities and support
Reduced participation in education and workforce
Long-term economic implications for individuals and national productivity
Additionally, many girls avoid using public toilets, further restricting their mobility and access to sanitation.
Environmental Impact
Even with relatively low usage rates, menstrual waste poses a growing concern.
Less than 18% of women use sanitary pads
Paradoxically, urban India generates approximately 58 million discarded pads annually
This creates a significant burden of non-biodegradable waste, highlighting the need for sustainable menstrual hygiene solutions.
At least 500 million women and girls worldwide still lack access to adequate menstrual hygiene management (MHM) facilities, highlighting a persistent gap in basic dignity and health. In India, the Swachh Bharat Mission has brought MHM into sharper focus by supporting the construction of girl-friendly sanitation facilities and promoting awareness within communities, including among boys and men, to help break long-standing taboos around menstruation.
Globally, similar efforts are gaining ground. In Liberia, the Education Sector Plan integrates MHM and disability-inclusive infrastructure into school and WASH planning. In Ethiopia, school-based WASH programmes prioritise MHM to improve girls’ enrolment and attendance. Together, these initiatives, supported by partnerships between governments and organisations such as the World Bank, are helping elevate MHM from a neglected issue to a national priority.
Beyond Health: The Cost of Poor Menstrual Hygiene
Menstrual hygiene is closely linked to education, dignity and economic participation. When addressed holistically, it enables girls and women to stay in school, access opportunities and lead healthier lives.
However, on ground experience across rural and tribal communities highlights a few common and persistent barriers that extend beyond access alone. Deep rooted social norms often create mistrust towards external interventions. Conservation around menstruation remains limited and unfamiliar service providers are not always readily accepted, restricting timely access to essential care and information.
Dropping out of school
Infrastructure gaps further compound the issue. The absence of clean, safe and private sanitation facilities in schools continue to impact adolescent girls disproportionately, often leading to absenteeism or permanent dropouts at critical stages in their education.
Lack of reproductive health agency
Equally significant is the lack of agency around reproductive and menstrual health. Many women and girls do not have access to reliable information or the freedom to make informed choices about menstrual products and practices. This limits their ability to manage their health with dignity and confidence.
Lack of emergency preparedness
Recent crises like the pandemics or natural disasters, further exposed the vulnerabilities faced by women. Disruptions in supply chains, restricted mobility and financial strain reduces access to essential menstrual hygiene products and management, reinforcing the existing inequalities. These challenges underline the urgent need to integrate menstrual health into emergency preparedness and ensure continuity of care in uncertain times.
As highlighted by UNICEF and Indian constitution, menstrual hygiene is a fundamental right and bringing this in full effect for every female in India, sustainable community engagement is required to strengthen infrastructure and collaborative efforts that place dignity, awareness and accessibility at the centre of focused menstrual health interventions.
Role of the government
The Ministry of Health and Family introduced the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme under the National Health Mission’s Menstrual Hygiene Management Programme, to improve awareness, expand access to affordable sanitary napkins and promote safe disposal practices.
However, the impact has been limited. The scheme envisioned distributing sanitary napkins across 107 districts while enabling self help groups to produce and sell low cost pads (under Rs 8 per pack) in an additional 45 districts, but due to inconsistent supply and weak last mile delivery, the action plan couldn’t be implemented to its full potential.
And this is where CSR-NGO Partnerships can come into the picture to execute the government’s action plan.
Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) cannot be viewed as sanitation alone. For millions of women and girls it is closely tied to dignity, bodily autonomy and their ability to access, education, work and wider life opportunities. Addressing MHM, therefore, is fundamental to advance gender equality in a meaningful and sustained way.
As guided by the World Bank, the efforts to strengthen the MHM agenda must include technical expertise, data-driven insights and ecosystem building efforts which can be achieved through targeted partnerships for women’s health. One such example in India, is Swabhiman by Smile Foundation. With over two decades of grassroots engagement and 400+ partnerships, Smile Foundation has reached more than 1.90 lakh women and girls in FY 2024–25 alone.
Through its Swabhiman programme, the organisation combines health, nutrition, and livelihood support delivering integrated maternal and adolescent healthcare through lifecycle approach, ensuring the young girls and women of rural communities of India, can access, avail and afford menstrual hygiene with ease and for long term.
1. Why is Menstrual Health Day important for global development?
Menstrual Health Day highlights the link between menstrual hygiene, dignity, education, and economic participation. It drives global awareness and encourages multi-sectoral action to ensure women and girls can manage menstruation safely and without barriers.
2. What are the key barriers to menstrual hygiene in India?
Limited access to menstrual hygiene products, inadequate WASH infrastructure, affordability constraints and deep-rooted social stigma collectively restrict women’s ability to manage menstruation safely and with dignity.
3. How does access to menstrual hygiene products impact girls’ education?
Reliable access to menstrual hygiene products reduces school absenteeism and dropout rates. When girls can manage menstruation safely, they are more likely to attend school consistently and participate fully in academic and social environments.
4. How can CSR partnerships strengthen menstrual health outcomes?
CSR-NGO partnerships can improve last-mile delivery of menstrual hygiene products, strengthen community engagement, and enable behaviour change interventions—ensuring sustainable, scalable menstrual health solutions in underserved regions.
5. Why is Menstrual Health Day relevant for corporate stakeholders?
Menstrual Health Day offers an opportunity for organisations to align ESG and CSR strategies with gender equity goals, supporting initiatives that improve access, awareness and infrastructure for menstrual hygiene management at scale.
6. What role do menstrual hygiene products play in economic empowerment?
Access to affordable menstrual hygiene products enables women to participate consistently in the workforce, reducing productivity losses and supporting long-term economic inclusion, particularly in rural and low-income communities.
7. How can Menstrual Health Day drive behaviour change at the community level?
Through targeted campaigns, Menstrual Health Day helps normalise conversations, reduce stigma, and promote informed choices creating an enabling environment where women and girls can adopt safe and hygienic menstrual practices.
8. What makes menstrual hygiene a multi-sectoral development issue in India?
Menstrual hygiene intersects with health, education, gender equality, and sanitation. Ensuring access to menstrual hygiene products, awareness and infrastructure is critical to achieving inclusive and sustainable development outcomes in India.
We live in a world where the importance of education is on a constant rise. In today’s world, educated and skilled individuals have better conditions and more successful lives. A good education is necessary for every individual to move forward in life and to earn respect in society. The job market is also focused on hiring freshers who have knowledge in specific fields. A lack of good education not only affects their life but the overall development of the country too. Every educated individual focuses on how and what to do for the betterment of society and the nation.
If students educate themselves at the right stages of life, it will improve their chances of reaching long-term goals. Value education plays a big part in dictating their betterment and their social status in future. If we educate children well and train them in a specific field, it will help them build asuccessful life. Children can follow their dreams with the aid of proper education.
Cons of lacking education
Uneducated people can never be fully aware of their responsibilities towards other human beings and to the world as a whole. As humans, we have to give back to the society we live in and make it a better place for everyone to live in. Proper education teaches a person to think beyond their personal interests. It also helps them develop the ability to make the world a happier, safer place for the next generation.
One of the key points of importance of education today stems from the fact that diverse skills provide greater opportunities for creativity in the workforce. Technology has changed the face of education. With this, students can use digital advancements to gain a holistic understanding of their chosen field of interest. They also learn to develop an awareness of the prevailing issues and contribute to improving it.
Mission Education showing the importance of education for all
Mission Education is one such programme of Smile Foundation. It is committed to providing basic education and healthcare to underprivileged children to help follow their dreams. With quality education and innovative learning for many children in different regions, we support the betterment of their life.
This pandemic brought many challenges in the education, teaching, and learning process. During this period, lots of underprivileged children have not been able to get access to good education and learning process. This is because most people have been afraid to work on the ground.
In these difficult times, we still feel proud. At Smile, we have been working with a lot of children and working for their better future.
