Lack of Privacy, Toilets & Stigma Force Girls in Odisha to Miss School During Menstruation
A study on schools in Odisha reveals that despite 94% of surveyed schools having separate girl toilets, the absence of water, soap, disposal facilities, and privacy continues to force girls to miss sc
What happened
A study on schools in Odisha reveals that despite 94% of surveyed schools having separate girl toilets, the absence of water, soap, disposal facilities, and privacy continues to force girls to miss school during menstruation. The findings highlight that infrastructure alone is insufficient — functional menstrual hygiene management (MHM) requires water supply, sanitary napkin availability, incinerators, and trained teachers who can address menstrual stigma without shame. Deep-rooted social taboos around menstruation compound the problem, discouraging girls from seeking help or using available facilities. This directly impacts female enrolment, retention, and learning outcomes, undermining India's commitments under the Right to Education and Sustainable Development Goal 4. For UPSC, this issue sits at the intersection of gender equity, school governance, public health, and the effectiveness of flagship schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen and Samagra Shiksha.
Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in schools is a recurring theme in UPSC Prelims through the lens of government schemes and social welfare.
●Key facts to anchor: Swachh Bharat Mission mandates separate girl toilets with water in all schools; the National Menstrual Hygiene Scheme (Suvidha) provides subsidised sanitary napkins; Samagra Shiksha integrates MHM under its school health component.
●The Odisha study underscores that toilet construction (an output metric) does not equal functional sanitation (an outcome metric). WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) in Schools is a WHO-UNICEF framework India has adopted.
●The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE) mandates separate toilets for girls as a school infrastructure norm.
●Absenteeism due to menstruation is classified as a structural barrier to gender parity in education by UNESCO.
Toilet construction without water, soap, and stigma-free environments is an incomplete intervention — functional MHM requires all four pillars simultaneously.
◎ In Simple Words
Imagine going to school but not being able to use the toilet properly because there's no water or soap — that's what many girls in Odisha face every month during their periods. Even though most schools have separate toilets for girls, they often don't have running water, dustbins, or private spaces, which makes girls feel embarrassed and unsafe. Because of this, many girls simply stay home for a few days every month, missing important lessons. This adds up over time and means girls fall behind in studies just because of something completely natural that the government should be helping them manage at school.
Factual Pointers
Practice · 1 question
With reference to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which of the following is a mandated infrastructure norm specifically for girls in schools?