Pinkishe Foundation
31/10/2026
Period poverty means not having what you need to manage a period with dignity. That includes period products, a clean and private toilet, water and soap, a safe way to throw away used products, and simple, correct information. It affects girls and women in cities and villages alike.
India has several public schemes on menstrual health. In 2026, the Supreme Court went further and said that menstrual health is a right. This guide explains each step in plain words, and then looks at what still needs to change.
The Ministry of Health began its Menstrual Hygiene Scheme in 2011. Its aim was to help adolescent girls get low-cost sanitary napkins and correct information about periods through the public health system.
In July 2018, sanitary napkins were made free of GST. Taking away the tax was meant to keep pads within reach of more families.
Under the Suvidha initiative, sanitary napkins are sold at a low price at Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras, the government's generic medicine shops. Prices can change, so ask at your nearest Kendra.
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan put a spotlight on toilets, including separate toilets for girls in schools. On paper, coverage is now high: 97.3% of India's schools have a girls' toilet (UDISE+ 2024-25).
But having a toilet is not the same as being able to use one. In 28% of rural government schools, surveyors found no usable girls' toilet, and 22% had no drinking water (ASER 2024). A toilet that is locked, broken or dry does not help a girl who needs to change her pad.
The Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) is the national programme for the health of adolescents. Menstrual health is part of its work on sexual and reproductive health, along with nutrition and mental health. The idea is not only to hand out pads, but to help young people understand their bodies.
In November 2023, the Ministry of Health released a draft national menstrual hygiene policy. It looks at periods from many sides: affordable, good-quality products, clean facilities, safe disposal, education, and breaking the taboos that stop girls and women from managing periods with dignity.
Some states have brought menstrual education into the classroom. When boys and girls learn about periods together, periods become an ordinary topic, not a secret.
On 30 January 2026, in Dr Jaya Thakur v Government of India, the Supreme Court held that menstrual health is part of the right to life under Article 21. It gave directions for classes 6 to 12 on free products, vending machines, safe disposal, education, teacher training and annual inspection. In an order of 1 September 2026, the Court set the standard as compostable products meeting ISO 17088 read with IS 5405, and directed states towards reusable cups, period panties and reusable napkins.
In simple words: a girl in classes 6 to 12 should be able to get free period products at school, use a clean toilet, throw away used products safely, and learn about periods from a trained teacher. Someone should check every year that this is happening.
Many girls still learn about periods only when the first one starts. 1 in 2 girls knew nothing about periods before their first (BMJ Open review of Indian studies, 2016). Myths about what a girl may eat, touch or do during her period are still common, in cities and villages alike. Period blood is not dirty or impure. It is a normal part of a healthy body.
Schemes help, but supply is not always steady. A girl may find the school stock empty, or the nearest shop too far away. Many girls and women use cloth, and cloth is safe when it is washed with soap and dried fully in sunlight. The real difficulty is often a lack of water, soap, privacy and a place to dry it.
As the ASER figures show, a toilet that exists on paper may not be usable. A girl needs a door that locks, water, soap and a covered bin inside.
Many schools have nowhere to throw used pads. Girls carry them home, or wait until the end of the day to change. Safe disposal needs bins, collection as sanitary waste, and products that do less harm. The Supreme Court's standard for compostable products, and its push towards reusable products, are meant to help here.
You can help too. Talk about periods openly at home, make sure the girls you know have products before they need them, and ask your local school whether its girls' toilet has water, soap and a bin.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
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Prefer to work out your dates now? Open the free ovulation calculatorPeriod poverty means not having the products, toilets, water, safe disposal or correct information needed to manage a period with dignity. It is about much more than money for pads.
No. Sanitary napkins were made free of GST in July 2018.
On 30 January 2026, the Supreme Court held that menstrual health is part of the right to life under Article 21. It gave directions for classes 6 to 12 on free products, vending machines, safe disposal, education, teacher training and annual inspection.
Most schools have one on paper: 97.3% of India's schools have a girls' toilet (UDISE+ 2024-25). But in 28% of rural government schools, surveyors found no usable girls' toilet (ASER 2024). A toilet needs water, a lock and a bin to be useful during a period.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras sell low-cost sanitary napkins under the Suvidha initiative. Girls in classes 6 to 12 should be able to get free products at school under the Supreme Court's directions. Your local health worker can tell you what else is available near you.
Talk about periods openly, keep spare pads for girls who may need them, ask your local school about its toilets and bins, and support groups that work in schools and communities.
India has schemes for low-cost pads, removed GST from sanitary napkins, and most schools now have a girls' toilet. In January 2026, the Supreme Court held that menstrual health is part of the right to life. The gaps now are usable toilets, steady supply, safe disposal and correct information, in cities and villages alike.
Pinkishe Foundation is a specialist implementation organisation for menstrual health. We deliver, reliably, in schools and communities across India. Support our work with a donation.
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