Commemorating Menstrual Hygiene Day
Menstrual Hygiene Day is a global platform that brings together non-profits, government agencies, the private sector, the media and individuals to promote Menstrual Hygiene Management. The day raises awareness of the challenges women and girls worldwide face due to their menstruation and highlights solutions that address these challenges, including through media work. It catalyses a growing, global movement for MHM. It also supports partnerships at global, regional, national and local level. The day also creates opportunities for advocacy for the integration of MHM into global, national and local policies, programmes and projects. WASH United is the initiator of MH Day in 2013 and acts as its International Secretariat. On 28 May 2014, MH Day was celebrated for the first time and remains the day for celebration.
Aakar has been working on menstrual hygiene for the last six years. World Menstrual Hygiene Day is a big event on our annual calendar. This year in collaboration with Sachi Saheli (a Delhi based NGO), we are celebrating the day by organising two events on the 22nd and 28th May, 2017. The first one is a series of panel discussions with a range of stakeholders while the second one is a mass participation event in Connaught Place. Let me mention that a lot of the details are still in planning stage. We would love to have your support and make the whole thing meaningful.
Event 1
Panel Discussions
Date: May 22nd, 2017
Location: The Lalit Hotel, New Delhi
Time 1-6 PM
Expected Gathering: 100
Introduction and Aim
A plenary discussion followed by deliberation in stakeholder groups on Menstrual Health Management will be organized by Sachi Saheli and Aakar on 22nd of May, 2017. This is intended to open a dialogue on menstruation, bringing together a common multi-stakeholder voice for change and finalize key commitments to take forward, on the run up to World Menstrual Hygiene Day on the 28th of May, 2017.
This engagement aims to highlight MHM barriers and actionable programming or strategic shifts in education, media and at the institutional level, looking at WASH policies including indicators to capture measurable change. The aim of this platform is to bring together key stakeholders from the state and national government, academia, representatives from underserved communities as well as partners from the development sector to engage in constructive and long-lasting policy engagement- bringing people out of their work silos, look at aspects that restrict access to safe health and sanitation practices. The deliberations will explore how civil society, target groups, state governments and passionate individuals can be mobilized to engage in dialogues to ensure access and sustainable solutions for hygiene management and sanitation for all.
Format and planned flow of activities:
This social dialogue will have participation from over 100 people with an experienced panel of experts. The audience will consist of young women, aganwadi workers, NGOs, academia, MHM practitioners, medical fraternity etc. The opening plenary will have eminent people express their views and set the tone. The stakeholder panels will have representation from media, corporates, academia, govt and medical fraternity among others. The planned flow of activities between 1 – 5.30 pm is as follows.
- 1-2 pm – Audience engagement programme with Aganwadi workers, girls and women who will be asked to come earlier. This will include a skit by girls and interactive sessions based on Q&As.
- 2-2.45pm – Inaugural plenary session with senior representatives from Govt., NGOs and MHM practitioners
Panel discussions start – each panel to have 4-5 people with a moderator engaging with them. Last ten minutes of each panel will be devoted to Q & A.
- 3 – 3.45pm – Session on Media
- 45 – 4.30pm – Session with Corporates
- 30 – 5.15pm – Session with other stakeholders like Academia, NGOs, Medical fraternity etc.
- 20pm – closing
Panelist are being roped in from among the following
- WCD (Women and Child Development)
- Sushmita Dev – MP, Silchar
- Representatives from Department of Education, Labor & health
- International Organizations – UN & UN bodies, WSSCC
- NGOs : Aakar, Teach for India, CRY, Bhumi, Dasra, WaterAid, Gates Foundation etc
- Leaders from IMA (Indian Medical Association)
- Educational Institutes (Amity University, Jaypee University, DPS school, etc)
- Media Partners (Mint, TOI, ScoopWhoop, Yourstory, Millenniumpost, DNA, etc)
- Corporates – P&G,
Event 2
Rally and human chain to create awareness about menstrual health.
Date: May 28th, 2017
Location: Connaught place, New Delhi
Time – 7-9AM
Expected Gathering: 3-4000
Chief Guest: Manish Sisodiya (Honourable Deputy CM, Government NCT Delhi)
Timing – Morning between 7-9am.
The overall purpose is to draw larger attention to the issue of MHM, get more people involved in the movement, get media to talk about and build a momentum for something truly sustainable through commitments.
Overview of Activities:
- Assembly of participants in designated area
- Rally around inner/outer circle culminating in a human chain around central park
- Nukkad Natak (Asmita Theatre Group)
- Canvas Painting
- Dance Performance
- Flash Mob (Delhi Dance Academy)
- Interactive engagement and commitments
- Closing
All participants will be provided T Shirts, food and water. It will be highly educative and entertaining experience for all. NGOs helping in bringing participants will be provided buses to ferry people from their respective areas.
Gallery
Press & Media
