In Focus by The Hindu What does the SC's judgement on menstrual health mean for gender equity in India?
Feb 11, 2026
Poonam Muttreja, Executive Director of the Population Foundation of India and reproductive health expert. She unpacks the Supreme Court ruling on menstrual health as a right. Conversations cover school toilets and water access, stigma and purity norms, why boys need education on periods, period poverty at work, and waste, regulation and accountability for sustainable menstrual care.
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Judicial Recognition Transforms Menstrual Health
- The Supreme Court recognised menstrual health as integral to rights like education, dignity, and equality rather than a mere welfare issue.
- The Court issued a continuing mandamus because poor implementation and weak accountability, not just policy absence, drive menstrual inequity.
Hygiene Gaps Correlate With School Absence
- Only 77% of women aged 15–24 use hygienic menstrual methods nationally, with much lower use among poorer and less-educated groups.
- Lack of hygienic methods links to missed school days, anxiety, and withdrawal from public life during adolescence.
School Infrastructure Drives Dropouts
- Many schools lack clean toilets with running water, privacy, and safe disposal, causing embarrassment and spotting incidents for girls.
- These infrastructural deficits disproportionately affect rural and poorer girls, sustaining dropouts and exclusion.