Project to Give Priority to Women’s Health, Hygiene and Safety
The word Saheli implies a friend, specifically a female friend who listens to one's problem and provides the adequate help one needs.
The objective of the project is to build a friendly relationship between women where a daughter or a sister, can easily share and talk about her menstrual cycle, hygiene related to it, and other problems like sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, with her mother and elder sister. So that she can help her own daughter and women of her family, village, or locality. This initiative believes that the change begins from home, there is no one who can guide or advise a girl better than her own mother and or women of the family the girl belongs to. The main purpose of the program is to create a non-hierarchical family structure where girls of the family can openly talk about their menstrual cycle and issues related to it without hesitation and shyness. Wherever Saheli organizes its event it associates women volunteers from the same local community so that women and girls of the locality can easily access her and share their issues and ask for help without any hesitation. Several camps are organized by Saheli where we provide free medical check-ups, distribute menstrual hygiene kits, and free consultations regarding all these issues. Under this initiative, our aim is to fill the gap between generations so that older women's experiences can help other women to prevent or overcome life-threatening diseases. Basically, Saheli's purpose is to make women aware of the importance of their health and empower them to play an integral part within society and the labor market.
The objective of the project is to build a friendly relationship between women where a daughter or a sister, can easily share and talk about her menstrual cycle, hygiene related to it, and other problems like sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, with her mother and elder sister. So that she can help her own daughter and women of her family, village, or locality. This initiative believes that the change begins from home, there is no one who can guide or advise a girl better than her own mother and or women of the family the girl belongs to. The main purpose of the program is to create a non-hierarchical family structure where girls of the family can openly talk about their menstrual cycle and issues related to it without hesitation and shyness. Wherever Saheli organizes its event it associates women volunteers from the same local community so that women and girls of the locality can easily access her and share their issues and ask for help without any hesitation. Several camps are organized by Saheli where we provide free medical check-ups, distribute menstrual hygiene kits, and free consultations regarding all these issues. Under this initiative, our aim is to fill the gap between generations so that older women's experiences can help other women to prevent or overcome life-threatening diseases. Basically, Saheli's purpose is to make women aware of the importance of their health and empower them to play an integral part within society and the labor market.
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Taboo regarding menstruation in Indian society makes it difficult for women to openly talk about their periods and most of the time women ignore disease and problems related to periods and periods hygiene such as abnormal uterine bleeding, Excessive or prolonged menstrual bleeding, amenorrhea. The absence of menstrual bleeding, pelvic infection etc. Apart from this, these women also suffer from iron deficiency( anemia) because of the lack of information and awareness about nutrition and health. In pregnant women, iron deficiency puts the baby at risk of developmental delays. Along with this talking about sex and STD is difficult because of that, women and girls who suffers from several STDs remain unaware or avoid any type of open discussion about this. SAHELI is a initiative tries to make changes in the society by giving attention to women health, hygiene and safety
Menstrual Hygiene Management(MHM)
With over 200 million women in India ignorant of their health at large and safe menstrual hygiene practices, this has a serious detrimental effect on health outcomes for girls and women. We believe that a well informed mother is better equipped to teach her daughter hygienic menstrual practices. It is essential to eat healthy and iron-rich food, provide her with adequate nutrition, and prioritize menstrual support in the household budget. Positive mother daughter communication leads to positive schooling, health, sanitation and overall wellbeing and social lives.
Leucorrhea is a medical condition where women experience thick whitish or yellowish colour discharge from virgina. It is a frequent gynaecological complaint of women that accounts for more than 25%. Verginal discharge is normal and healthy up to some extent as they flush out dead cells and toxic organisms of reproductive organs. But if the discharge is thick, yellowish, blackish or reddish this can be considered abnormal discharge and requires an inflammatory, medical checkup and necessary medical treatment. This condition of abnormal virginal discharge is called leucorrhea,” which may be a sign of infection, cancer, or may be due to some other reason. All these problem is connected with lack of menstrual hygiene. Therefore, the sensitisation of women and girls on MHM and personal hygiene is significant. Considering these issue this programme emphasize in providing information and educate women regarding measures during menstrual cycle and personal hygiene, making them aware about their reproductive rights, reproductive changes which can lead to a health and hygienic life ,under this Saheli organises awareness camp where we make women and girls aware about the importance of menstrual hygiene and distribute them menstrual health kit which includes sanitary pad.
Leucorrhea is a medical condition where women experience thick whitish or yellowish colour discharge from virgina. It is a frequent gynaecological complaint of women that accounts for more than 25%. Verginal discharge is normal and healthy up to some extent as they flush out dead cells and toxic organisms of reproductive organs. But if the discharge is thick, yellowish, blackish or reddish this can be considered abnormal discharge and requires an inflammatory, medical checkup and necessary medical treatment. This condition of abnormal virginal discharge is called leucorrhea,” which may be a sign of infection, cancer, or may be due to some other reason. All these problem is connected with lack of menstrual hygiene. Therefore, the sensitisation of women and girls on MHM and personal hygiene is significant. Considering these issue this programme emphasize in providing information and educate women regarding measures during menstrual cycle and personal hygiene, making them aware about their reproductive rights, reproductive changes which can lead to a health and hygienic life ,under this Saheli organises awareness camp where we make women and girls aware about the importance of menstrual hygiene and distribute them menstrual health kit which includes sanitary pad.
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Anaemia Eradication Campaign
The primary objective of this program is to implement a constructive eradication and create awareness regarding women’s health, hygiene, sustainable menstruation practices, and providing hygienic sanitation facilities for holistic development of the community. In this direction, we educate these women about anemia, a condition of iron deficiency, which is more common among females than male.
The problem is only half of women considered these symptoms of concern. Many women who took iron supplements, primarily provided through prenatal care, did not understand the reason for treatment negative attitudes towards iron supplementation, derived from side effects, concern with tablet’s bad taste, or fear of adverse outcomes could facilitate non-compliance, even if the benefits of iron supplementation are known.
Therefore, we think that medical intervention is essential; it is vital to make women aware and educate them regarding anemia. We also try to educate women about MHM with anemia since anaemia is caused by blood loss. Many women experience unnatural blood loss because of heavy menstrual period that cause their iron level fall. Therefore, overall, women are at an enormous risk of anaemia.
The problem is only half of women considered these symptoms of concern. Many women who took iron supplements, primarily provided through prenatal care, did not understand the reason for treatment negative attitudes towards iron supplementation, derived from side effects, concern with tablet’s bad taste, or fear of adverse outcomes could facilitate non-compliance, even if the benefits of iron supplementation are known.
Therefore, we think that medical intervention is essential; it is vital to make women aware and educate them regarding anemia. We also try to educate women about MHM with anemia since anaemia is caused by blood loss. Many women experience unnatural blood loss because of heavy menstrual period that cause their iron level fall. Therefore, overall, women are at an enormous risk of anaemia.
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Awareness camps, health camps, distribution of health kit, anemia kit
Under this project we organize multipurpose campus for instance awareness camp, health camp, where we provide free consultation, medical aids and MHM kit, anaemia kit, to unprivileged females and educate them about menstrual hygiene and health, also make them sensitise regarding issues like reproductive rights, sexual violance etc. So that these women and girls can lead a healthy and dignified life.