Lack of awareness, care obstructs women empowerment: discussion Staff Correspondent | Updated at 12:10am on August 12, 2018

State minister for women and children affairs along with others attends a discussion on
cleanliness during menstruation at Bangladesh Press Institute in the capital on Saturday.
— New Age photo
State minister for women and children affairs Meher Afroz Chumki on Saturday said that
lack of care and awareness of menstrual period was an obstacle to women empowerment.
At a discussion organised by women platform Power of She at the Press Institute of
Bangladesh, she also said that birth of healthy children was also directly connected with
hygiene issues during menstrual period.
The state minister said that still many people could not consider buying sanitary napkins
for female family members which was a must for a girl’s bright and healthy future.
‘If we ignore a woman’s health issues during adolescent period, how we can expect a
healthy baby from her in time,’ she asked.
Earlier it was impossible to hold any discussion on the issue and even there were very
few toilets in rural areas, but the situation improved a lot currently, she said.
She said that the ministry had taken a project to make people aware of hygiene issues
during menstrual period and make sanitary napkins available at affordable prices.
ActionAid Bangladesh country director Farah Kabir said that sanitary napkins should be
made available everywhere and affordable to everyone as it was a basic need for women.
Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists vice-president Syed Ishtiaque Reza urged the
government to waive 131 per cent tax on imported sanitary napkins.
‘Hygiene is not opportunity, it is a priority,’ he added.
About the tax, the state minister said that she would discuss it with the officials
concerned before the next budget.
Live Healthy Foundation chairman Nowsheen Sharmin Purabi said that women faced
different diseases like white discharge, belly pain and infection due to lack of hygiene
practice during period.
All for One founder Kamrun Nesa Mira said that rural women were still using sand with
a piece of cloth during their period at places of Shariakandi and Sylhet.
Girls did not attend schools during period in absence of sanitary napkins, she added.
Singer Samina Chowdhury said that family members should openly talk about period as
the practice of hygiene during period started from families.
Power of She project chief Sabina Sabi said that till date social taboo on period was
existing as many people became embarrassed to talk about it.
PIB director general Shah Alamgir said that media had the responsibility for publishing
and broadcasting these news regularly.
The discussion was also attended, among others, by Persona executive and managing
director Kaniz Almas Khan and Bibiana managing director Lipi Khandker.