Young people from the Youngistaan Foundation, an NGO, are leading a campaign to break the silence surrounding periods in public spaces. They aim to eliminate the discomfort and shame associated with discussing periods while raising awareness on safe menstruation. Participants hold placards in prominent public spaces and engage with the general public to spread awareness and challenge societal taboos associated with menstruation. The campaign has gone viral and attracted participation from various parts of the country, including Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Vellore.
In addition, a team of volunteers visited Gaddiannaram Basti Dawakhana to promote awareness about menstrual health and hygiene. They engaged with over 30 women and used storytelling techniques to enlighten them about the various challenges faced by women who lack knowledge about menstruation. The volunteers also provided explanations about the natural process of menstruation, methods for tracking menstrual cycles, balanced diets to follow during periods, and simple exercises to manage period pain.
The Youngistaan Foundation is hosting a month-long campaign called ‘Period Positivity’ that aims to reach 5 lakh lives. The campaign was organised in partnership with Global Menstrual Hygiene Day, MHAi and TSIC. As part of the campaign, the organisation has conducted interviews with individuals involved in the menstrual health field and hosted an open mic event to challenge the taboos and stigma surrounding periods. The gender program of Youngistaan Foundation has raised awareness among 1 million people.
Youngistaan Foundation is one of India’s largest volunteer-driven organisations that works to improve the lives of underprivileged people through programmes that address various issues. All six programmes of YF are aligned with 7 UN SDGs. Registered in 2014, the foundation has supported 3 million lives across 60 cities by engaging 70,000 young people and working in partnership with over 100 government, private and civil society organisations.
