A menstrual health and well-being programme was organised at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School in Dimapur on June 1.
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DIMAPUR — A menstrual health and well-being programme was organised at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Riverbelt Colony, Dimapur, on Monday.
The programme was jointly organised by Menstrual Initiative Nagaland, Breeze Women Welfare Association, Community Health Initiative, and Ohan Ki, according to a press release.
Author and Counsellor Alokali Zhimomi spoke on the theme "Period and mind: Menstrual hygiene and its impact on mental health".
She highlighted the connection between the shame and silence surrounding menstruation and its negative impact on a young woman's confidence and mental well-being. She added that menstrual health is a matter of mental health and dignity that needs to be addressed in homes, schools, and communities.
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Former Chairperson of the Nagaland State Commission for Women (NSCW), W Nginyeih Konyak, who attended the programme as the guest of honour, appealed to families, schools, and communities to normalise menstruation as a daily practice.
She pointed out that while sanitary products are accessible in urban centres like Dimapur and Kohima, access to menstrual hygiene must reach women and girls in interior villages.
President of Naga Women Hoho Dimapur, Y Imlimungla, who attended as the chief guest, shared her personal experience of growing up in a time when young girls were conditioned to hide during their periods and highlighted the importance of breaking the silence surrounding the subject.
Earlier, Advisor of Community Health Initiative Loreni Sophia, in her address, drew the students’ attention to the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, stating that awareness of rights and bodily safety is integral to discussions on menstrual health.