Latest news with #UNICEFOdisha
Hans India
12-08-2025
- General
- Hans India
Guv calls on youth to take lead in climate action
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Conference of Youth (OCOY) 2025 began at ASBM University here on Sunday with a call for youth-led climate action and innovation. Inaugurated by Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, the three-day flagship event of the Youth4Water Plus campaign is being attended by over 800 youth change-makers, climate advocates and experts from Odisha and other places. In his address, the Governor called upon the youth to lead in climate action, innovation and sustainable living. 'Odisha is proud of a generation of youth who are conscious, committed and courageous. You are rooted in tradition and ready to lead in innovation,' he said. The Governor urged the people to become 'the architects of Viksit Bharat@2047.' 'Your climate action is not just activism. It is patriotism. The world doesn't need spectators. It needs leaders. Let this be your moment,' he added. ASBM Founder and President Biswajeet Pattanayak said OCOY 3.0 is not just an event, it is a movement to equip and inspire the next climate leaders. 'If leadership is about shaping the future, then climate leadership is about ensuring that the future exists. We are the first generation to fully understand the damage we are doing to our planet and the last generation with the power to stop it,' he said. William Hanlon, Jr., Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Odisha, emphasised the importance of young people's involvement. 'What we witness here today is not just an event. It is the spirit of youth leadership in action,' Hanlon said. The dignitaries who attended the event were: K S Pradeep, IFS, Director (Environment)-cum-Special Secretary, government of Odisha; environmentalist Arun Krishnamurthy; global youth climate advocate Johann Hoschtialek; Sujit Mahapatra, Advisor, Youth4Water Plus & Founder, Bakul Foundation; and Blorin Mohanty, Director, Youth4Water Plus.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Men must be educated to help break stigma on menstrual health: Odisha dy CM Pravati Parida
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Wednesday said men must be educated to help break the stigma on menstrual health. While inaugurating a conclave on 'Menstrual Health & Hygiene 2025', organised by IIT Bhubaneswar here, Parida said, "Menstruation, a natural biological process, has long been shrouded in taboo, forcing generations of women to suffer in silence. It's time we break this silence, and initiatives like this conclave are key to driving change." Highlighting the need for cultural transformation, she said, "The day sanitary napkins become part of a family's monthly grocery list or a brother's gift to his sister, we will witness real progress in women's empowerment. Men must also be educated on menstrual health to help break the stigma." Access to safe menstrual solutions in workplaces and educational institutions is essential, Parida said. She further stressed the importance of sustainable use and disposal of menstrual products. "Women and girls must be informed and empowered to claim their right to menstrual health and hygiene," the deputy chief minister added. Project CARE (Campus Action for Reusable Essentials), an initiative to promote the use of reusable menstrual products among school-going girls and college-going women, was launched on the occasion with the distribution of eco-friendly reusable menstrual pads to women from underserved communities. Parida also unveiled two sanitary napkin vending machines on the IIT campus. "Through our Research and Entrepreneurship Park and the 100 Cube Startup initiative, we are advancing innovative, scalable solutions -- from biodegradable sanitary products to AI-powered health tools -- that address real societal needs," IIT Bhubaneswar Director Shreepad Karmalkar said. Stating that menstrual health is not just a women's issue, it's a societal imperative, Karmalkar highlighted that at IIT Bhubaneswar, the provision of work from home for two days during periods has been made for PhD scholars. Willian Hanlon Jr, chief of field office UNICEF Odisha, stressed the importance of partnerships in breaking stigma and enabling access to menstrual hygiene products and education. "Menstruation is not a curse. It is a completely natural process. It is life-affirming, and it deserves to be managed with safety, dignity, and pride," Hanlon said. "As we commemorate Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025 , let us pledge that no girl in Odisha, or anywhere, misses school, loses confidence, or suffers in silence because of menstruation. Let us create a future where periods are managed with pride, not shame," he added.
