By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Supreme Court of India on Monday stressed that girls should not be forced to discontinue education due to the lack of sanitary napkins or functional toilets in schools and directed the Centre to ensure effective implementation of its earlier orders on menstrual hygiene facilities.
A Bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan said girls should not have to remain at home or engage in domestic work because basic menstrual hygiene facilities are unavailable in schools.
“Make good use of it. It is for the good of women and girls of this country. Girls should not give up education and sit at home and do some domestic work only for this reason,” the Bench observed while hearing the matter.
The court was informed by the Centre that its January 30 judgment directing authorities to provide free sanitary napkins and functional gender-segregated toilets in schools had prompted action across States and Union Territories.
Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave told the court that data regarding compliance had been collected from states over the past two to two-and-a-half months.
The Bench directed the Union government to continue collecting compliance data from states and ensure that its directions were implemented “in letter and spirit”.
“The Union should periodically keep collecting the necessary data and information from all the states as regards due compliance of our directions,” the court said.
The apex court said it would monitor compliance every three months and directed the Centre to submit fresh progress reports periodically.
The matter has been posted for further compliance on September 1. The court also directed all States and Union Territories to submit status reports to the Centre by August 15.
In its January 30 judgment, the Supreme Court had directed all States and UTs to provide free oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins to girl students in all schools, including government-run, aided and private institutions in both rural and urban areas.
The court had also directed authorities to ensure functional, gender-segregated toilets with usable water facilities in schools.
During Monday’s hearing, an advocate raised concerns over the use of the term “oxo-biodegradable” sanitary napkins in the earlier judgment, arguing that such products could be environmentally harmful. The Bench asked the Centre to examine the issue and take necessary steps.
In its earlier verdict, the court had observed that menstrual health forms an integral part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution and said access to menstrual hygiene was essential for ensuring educational equality and reproductive health rights for girl students.