PERIOD OF LIFE: Improving Menstrual Health and Knowledge in India
In the last 75 years, the average life expectancy of Indian women has nearly doubled. Yet the deeply-rooted stigma and uncomfortable silence around the issue of menstruation continues to persist. With the goal of de-stigmatizing and de-pathologizing menstruation, we launched a new project, Period of Life: Improving Menstrual Health and Knowledge in India that focuses on the relationship of menstruation to women’s health across the lifecourse. The project aims to broaden the understanding of the subject beyond menstrual hygiene and sanitation to education and research about the physical, psychological and social dimensions of menstrual health.
Project Directors:
Dr. Lauren Houghton, Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health
Dr. Ravina Aggarwal, Senior Advisor, Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai
Advisor:
Inga Winkler, Associate Professor in International Human Rights Law, Central European University, Vienna
Project Activities
1. Programs and Workshops
The project aims to address critical gaps in menstrual health and knowledge, promote dialogue, build capacity, and disseminate resources for stakeholders in the educational and healthcare sectors through targeted programs for researchers, schools, grassroot organizations and healthcare professionals.
Strengthening Menstrual Research in India
With a view to build a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to menstruation research, we organized a workshop for faculty and scholars from leading academic institutions. The workshop was led by Professor Inga Winkler, Associate Professor in International Human Rights Law, Central European University in Vienna, Austria and Chris Bobel, Professor and Chair, Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, College of Liberal Arts, University of Massachusetts Boston.
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Addressing the Menstrual Health Needs of Adolescents in India
Two workshops in October, 2022 with educators and pediatric practitioners explored different aspects of menstrual health. Led by Dr. Lauren Houghton, Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, the workshops invited educators to develop creative pedagogical and educational resources on menstruation and explored the inclusion of menstrual care and awareness in routine pediatric practice.
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Proposal Writing, Research Design And Funding Access
We organized an online workshop on April 17, 2023 to help menstrual researchers draft research proposals, refine their research designs and navigate financial avenues. The workshop was led by Dr. Inga Winkler, Associate Professor at International Human Rights Law, Central European University, Dr. Suneeta Krishnan, Deputy Director of Strategy, Planning, and M&E at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr. M Sivakami, Professor at the Center for Health and Social Sciences, School of Health Systems at Tata Institute of Social Sciences.