Shillong, Oct 31: In a bid to tackle teenage pregnancy and reduce school dropout rates among adolescent girls, the Meghalaya government has rolled out a special initiative focused on menstrual hygiene management.
Director of Social Welfare Doreen C Lyngwa said today that the initiative is being implemented under the Chief Minister’s directive, with sanitary pads distributed through a partnership with the Subham Foundation. The foundation employs over 1,500 members of self-help groups to produce organic sanitary pads.
“The government is also installing sanitary pad vending machines in colleges and higher secondary schools to ensure that no girl misses school due to menstrual challenges,” Lyngwa said.
Adviser to the Social Welfare Department, Paul Lyngdoh, said the distribution of sanitary pads will now be done on a regular basis and will cover all schools across the state, with a special focus on adolescent girls in rural areas.
He added that menstrual hygiene issues have long contributed to absenteeism among students.
“These pads are distributed across schools and community centres because, in the absence of such facilities, many girls tend to stay away from classes. Earlier, we noticed a high rate of absenteeism that often led to dropouts,” Lyngdoh said.
He further emphasised that the government’s goal is to ensure that no girl’s education is disrupted due to menstrual health issues.
Lyngdoh further announced that four new working women’s hostels will be established in Shillong, Jowai, Ri-Bhoi and Tura to support women’s employment and mobility.
“In addition, self-defence training programmes for girls will be rolled out in both rural and urban schools on a mission mode,” he said. “We are coordinating with the Police Department and the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs to ensure smooth implementation.”
Highlighting efforts to combat domestic violence and ensure women’s safety, Lyngdoh reminded the public of the 24×7 women’s helpline (181) and said it is accessible to anyone facing emergencies related to violence against women.
“The department will refurbish and upgrade the helpline workstations within three months, procure vehicles and complete boundary fencing of One Stop Centres (OSCs) within a month,” he said. “We will also document success stories of women who have benefitted from the helpline to spread awareness.”
Emphasising the role of community participation in crime prevention, Lyngdoh said the government is strengthening Village Defence Parties (VDPs) as a bridge between communities and the police.
“Crimes against women, drug trafficking, and other community-level issues can be effectively addressed when people themselves become part of the policing system,” he said. The government has now increased the honorarium for VDP volunteers from Rs 800 to Rs 3,000 per month.
