Official Launching of ‘Ritu’ at Prime Minister office
The official launching of ‘Ritu’ a project working on the menstrual hygiene management for the girls aged between 10 to 13 years old has taken place on 16th July at Karabi hall of Prime Minister office.
The program asked to raise awareness on menstrual health and create menstrual friendly environment at school for the girls. The slogan ‘It is the time to grow up with joy and confidence’ has emphasized the raise of the girl in healthy and happy environment. The vision of the campaign is to raise awareness on menstrual health across the country. This program has also celebrated the inauguration of TV series ‘Meyeder Sera School’ (The best school for girls’); a series on menstrual health of school going girls.
School girls with Education Minister
About 25 million woman have menstruation on each month in Bangladesh. But about 85% women use old rags for lack of proper knowledge on menstruation. About 35% school girls do not have any knowledge on menstruation before menarche. This is a major impediment for them to grow up as healthy and confident human being. For this, with the motto ‘Menstruation is normal and natural’; Ritu project wants to raise consciousness among the school girls, their parents, teachers and everyone else.
As a part of the Ritu project, ‘Meyeder Sera School’; a reality show on school girls is telecasted on two tv channels weekly.Through two characters, many information on menstrual health is shared with everyone.
‘Social movement on menstrual health should be started immediately. People’s thinking needs to be corrected. There must be separate toilets for boys and girls at school. Without this, no school will get approval.’ Says Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, chief guest of the program.
Speakers at Ritu launching
Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere, Ambassador of Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka is hopeful about the launching, ‘Since girls cannot go to school during period, it stays as bid obstacle for women empowerment. Ritu is a perfect example of government and non-government partnership. I hope that through Ritu campaign situation will be changed’.
Dr. S M Wahiduzzaman, Director General, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Government of Bangladesh, Prof. Dr. Abul Kalam Azad, Director General, Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Bangladesh, Government of Bangladesh, Arnab Chakrabarty, Managing Director of RedOrange Media and Communications and adolescent girls from schools were also present in the launching program.
Source: Ritu Website