This small-town UP girl is schooling teens on periods, teaching boys to make pads

India Today

5 days ago

Shraddha Tiwari is like many other 16-year-olds in rural Uttar Pradesh -- studying in Class 12 at a government school, living with her parents and siblings in a small town, where her father is a farmer and her mother a homemaker.But there's one thing that sets her apart. While most of her peers are quietly navigating adolescence, Shraddha is fearlessly leading conversations around menstruation.advertisementShe comes from a community where the 'don'ts' pile up when it comes to periods -- no temples, no pickles, no washing hair. There's a long line of restrictions that paint menstruation as a curse, not a natural process.
The high school student, studying science with biology, has four sisters and one brother. But her Sultanpur home wasn't always open to such talks, despite the fact that it had five young ladies growing in it.'It was always something you should not speak about. When I got my first period during a math class, my mother later gave me a piece of cloth and told me to stay silent about it,' she shares.That moment -- marked by confusion, fear, and shame -- would later become her reason to speak up. 'I didn't understand why such a natural process had to be kept a secret,' she says.advertisementShe certainly didn't want other girls to feel that way.FINDING HER VOICE THROUGH SCHOOL SUPPORTIt was a school initiative that helped her find the words. Under the Swachh Garima Vidyalaya, part of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G), a teacher named Sangeeta Gupta took the bold step of writing the word 'menstruation' on the classroom blackboard.And just like that, the taboo word turned into a catalyst. 'That day sparked a fire within me,' Shraddha remembers.This teacher guided her, supported her, and made her understand how there was no shame in periods.
She soon joined the Menstrual Hygiene Management Club run under the initiative.'It changed everything for me,' Shraddha says. She realised that educating her peers could empower them.In the club, the students – both girls and boys -- learned how to make cotton pads and discuss important topics like how to use and dispose them properly. They also learn about the variety of menstrual health products available besides pads, such as tampons, menstrual cups, and more.advertisement'We are encouraged to bring up any questions or doubts we have about menstruation without fear or shame. This support helped me move from feeling embarrassed to speaking openly, and it inspired me to help others do the same,' Shraddha says.Today, she leads the club.CHANGING MINDS, ONE WORKSHOP AT A TIMEChange begins at home, and it all started in Shradda's own family. When she became part of the MHM club, her family started to listen to her.As she learned new things about periods, she shared the information with her family.'I would make informative charts at home related to hygiene and women's health and explain the topics to them. At first, my mother was hesitant. But over time, she began listening and gradually became more open to these conversations,' Shradhha says.Her father was incredibly supportive.'He's helped me with every chart I've made and has always been the first person I turn to when I need ideas or guidance. His encouragement gave me the confidence to speak up, not just at home, but also in my school and community,' she says.Her family's support deepened more when she was selected to lead the club.
advertisementNow, every Saturday, the Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Club becomes a safe space for conversations that go beyond textbooks.Through workshops, she teaches both girls and boys about menstrual hygiene. The focus is on awareness, education and empowerment – three core areas to change how periods are viewed in small towns and rural spaces. These meetings have helped build confidence among girls and encouraged an open dialogue.'One of our most impactful efforts was setting up a stall on menstruation during the school's science exhibition,' says Shraddha.Visual explanations always work better. The students displayed charts and models explaining the menstrual cycle, hygiene practices, and myths surrounding the topic. The best thing was that many women from nearby villages visited the stall and engaged in the discussions.'It helped start important conversations in the community,' says the teenager.Taking the idea forward, Shradhha and the club organised sessions in the villages where they encouraged women to educate their daughters and not hide this natural process.advertisementWORKING WITH BOYS AND IMPACTING MEN ON MENSTRUATIONThe most impactful difference Shradhha has made to her community is involving boys and fathers. This is an absolute gamechanger and goes a long way in taking a step towards eradicating the shame surrounding periods and help dismantle traditional gender barriers.She even teaches boys how to make pads.'Menstruation is not just a girls' issue, it's a natural part of life, and everyone should understand it. If boys are aware and informed, they are more likely to be supportive,' she says.The 16-year-old had been a natural leader. She was the class monitor in her younger years, and had found that students tended to listen to her.'But I always made sure to include both girls and boys when I taught or spoke about menstruation,' she says.
Shraddha faced awkward silences and giggles from the boys in the beginning.'But when I explained that boys also go through physical changes during puberty, it sparked their curiosity. Boys started listening, asking questions, and even participating in pad-making workshops,' she says.advertisementToday, it's not unusual to see boys in her school discussing cloth pads and disposal methods alongside girls.Moreover, Shradhha's secondary school -- Government High School in Kanakpur Shikva -- holds awareness sessions during Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs).Here, the club members educate parents, both mothers and fathers, about menstrual hygiene and distributed sanitary pads through them to ensure their daughters had access and support at home.'In fact, during one such meeting, my father personally participated and helped distribute sanitary pads at school,' says Shradhha.BUILDING BRIDGES WITH PARENTSShraddha knew that change couldn't stop at school gates. Mothers and fathers both needed to be involved in their own ways.Many mothers were unaware of the health risks of using dirty or wrong types of cloth. She explained things simply -- how using improper materials could cause infections, why proper disposal matters, and how menstrual hygiene is about health, not shame.She also dispelled the age-old myths surrounding periods.
Swati, a student who attended Shraddha's sessions, shares, 'I learned that only muslin cloth should be used. Before this, my mother used anything she could find, even synthetic cloth.'Her friend Ragini adds, 'Now, I can make my pads instead of waiting for my mother to give me something.'Sangeeta ma'am played a vital role too, organising a parents' meeting that included fathers.'She asked them to allow their daughters to receive free pads in school and even requested that they personally hand over the products to the girls,' Shraddha says.The gesture worked. 'Now, girls are not scared to ask their fathers or brothers for pads,' notes the teacher.TAKING HER MESSAGE TO A WIDER AUDIENCEShraddha doesn't limit her activism to just one school. She wants to keep expanding to neighbouring villages and districts.'I've also visited nearby schools to talk about menstrual hygiene. Before each session, I prepare by revisiting what I've learned through the MHM club and try to make the sessions interactive and relatable,' she says, noting that the response has been very positive."Every time I spoke, I saw a light go on in someone's eyes," she says.Her words reach not just students, but teachers as well – both men and women -- who once shied away from discussing menstruation.
Headteacher Ram Teerath Rajak of a nearby school recalls being unsure about how to talk about menstruation. 'As a male teacher, it was difficult for me. But watching Shraddha speak so confidently was an eye-opener,' he says.Shradhha has been encouraging everyone to talk openly about menstruation both at home and within their communities.She wants to think bigger after she graduates high school.'I plan to form a dedicated group that can carry this work forward. Together, we will reach out to more schools and villages, raise awareness, and help create safe spaces for conversations around menstrual health,' she says.She wants to take the movement far beyond her village.WHY SHRADHHA REFUSES TO BE SILENCEDShradhha's efforts align seamlessly with the Swachh Bharat Mission, and brings this basic fact into the limelight – menstrual health is a part of the broader discussions on cleanliness and public health. It is not an isolated issue.What keeps her going? It's the small moments that show that she was able to create the desired impact. Where there was complete silence around menstruation earlier, young girls have started to speak up now.'Many girls now come up to me and say they want to be like me, they support me and are eager to be part of the change,' says Shradhha.Now, thanks to the awareness sessions, there's more openness and confidence among the girls in the community. They have an easier time asking questions and participating in menstruation-related discussions without any associated shame.
A FUTURE FUELLED BY COURAGEShradhha Tiwari wants to become a teacher so she can spread awareness, motivate others, and make a positive impact in the community. She dreams of ensuring that very school has an MHM (Menstrual Hygiene Management) club, just like the one she was part of.'I want to create spaces where girls can talk openly about menstruation without fear or shame and help break the taboos that still exist around this topic,' she says.Kumar Bikram, Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Officer at UNICEF India, says it best: 'Shraddha's story shows what Swachh Garima Vidyalaya is all about -- young girls getting the right information, challenging wrong beliefs, learning skills, and helping others.'Right now, she wants to start an initiative to promote the use of cloth pads as a sustainable and healthier alternative to plastic-based sanitary pads.'Many women fall sick due to poor menstrual hygiene. My goal is to spread awareness about cloth pads in my community and eventually turn this into a small business,' she explains.This can bring in a two-fold benefit -- improve women's health and create a source of income to sustain the club.
As a teenager with her life in front of her, Shradhha loves learning new things and gaining knowledge. And she wants three things: 'the freedom to explore, to ask questions, and to experience life without limitations.'And while support from her school and SBM-G has helped set the stage, it's Shraddha who's writing the script -- with courage, heart, and unstoppable clarity.'More than anything, I want to break these barriers, not just for myself, but for other girls too,' says Shradhha.