The Court also directed the pan-India implementation of the Union's national policy, 'Menstrual Hygiene (MH) Policy for School-going Girls' in schools for adolescent girl children from Classes 6-12.
Key Highlights of the judgment
- Menstrual Health as a fundamental right: Right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution includes the right to menstrual health.
- Link to Article 14 (Right to Equality): Inaccessibility of MH measures strips away the right to participate on equal terms in schools.
- Dignity of a girl child: Dignity must translate into living conditions free from humiliation, stigma, and exclusion.
- Structural discrimination: Inaccessibility of sanitary products affects fundamental right to education under Article 21A and Right to Education (RTE)Act.
- Mandatory institutional measures: All schools must provide Sensitisation of male teachers and students, gender-segregated toilets, free sanitary napkins (preferably through vending machines), and dedicated MHM corners.
Initiatives taken for Promotion of MH
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