Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the ‘Swechha’ program to tackle the stigma attached to menstruation, prioritize female personal hygiene, and encourage a healthy dialogue of information. ‘Swechha’ (meaning freedom) is intended to ensure affordable access to health and menstrual hygiene in adolescent girls and women.
Under the initiative, the state government will provide sanitary napkins at government educational institutions free of cost. Ten sanitary napkins will be given every month to about 10 lakh adolescent girls studying from 7th-12th grades in all government schools and intermediate colleges across the state. A total of 120 napkins per year is allotted to every female student, even during summer vacations, the students will be supplied with their quota before they leave school.
