Thane, January 6: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has introduced a period room within the community toilets for the convenience of the women in 15 Thane slums, making it the first such initiative in India. It is undertake in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation. A report of the carried by Muse Foundation highlighted the difficulties faced by the women in the slum during their monthly menstruation cycle . This prompted, TMC to undertake the period room initiative following a suggestion by the NGO. Sanitary Napkins Now Available for Re 1 at Jan Aushadhi Stores.

"A survey has been conducted in Thane through 2019 to study women's menstrual hygiene practices covering 1000 women in 15 slums in Thane. The primary findings of the survey revealed the heavy dependency of women in slums on community toilet and the problems they faced to manage menstruation due to lack of water, unsafe changing rooms, absence of disposal mechanism for soiled napkins," said Manish Joshi, deputy commissioner, Thane Municipal Corporation, as reported by The Free Press Journal. Sanitary Pads Will Now Be Available at Assam Industries For Female Employees, Government Issues Order.

As per the report, the period room inside the community toilet has better water supply and is quipped with jet spray, mirror, dustbin with a lid at bottom that saves anyone from directly touching the soiled sanitary napkins. It also consists of soap dispenser, hooks to hang cloths and a urinal for convenience.

In order to promote proper sanitation and hygiene, the wall in the community toilet have been painted in different colours. They also have a list of essential information regarding the menstruation to create awareness. The period rooms have been designed by Recycle bin keeping with needs of women living in slum areas.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 06, 2021 10:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).