Empowerment Of Girls Research Articles

Education for sustainability: All equal

Continuing her series on introducing the Sustainable Development Goals, Diane Boyd examines how to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls

VIEWPOINT

The Agenda, through its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to “end poverty and hunger worldwide from aqui to 2030, combat inequalities within and between countries, build peaceful, just and inclusive societies, protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and ensure lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources. Some of the effects of the pandemic may be positive, such as reduced traffic and improved air quality, as they help to reduce the effects of climate change (SDG 13). Global environmental problems, including climate change, may have irreparable consequences for the current population and future generations (Le Quang, 2015;Charan and Venkataraman, 2017). [...]increased environmental education will be critical in raising awareness and conserving the environment (Aikens et al., 2016). The current improvement in air quality should motivate businesses to rethink their activities to further reduce the effects of climate change (SDG 13).

Plurality of beliefs about female genital mutilation amidst decades of intervention programming in Narok and Kisii Counties, Kenya

Female genital mutilation derails efforts to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women. In Kenya, national estimates show a steady decline in prevalence, although there is considerable variation at the sub-national level. There is a need to better understand female genital mutilation-related norms and meanings and whether there have been changes in these given long-term and diverse efforts to promote abandonment. Focusing on Narok and Kisii counties, we conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study to identify social norms surrounding the practice of female genital mutilation, as well as consensus or contestation with respect to these norms. Ten focus group discussions were held with men and women aged 18 years and older from the Maasai and Abagusii communities that have traditionally practised female genital mutilation. Study findings showed that norms associated with female genital mutilation such as sexuality and marriageability were actively contested by community members. This change may provide a useful starting point for programmes that seek to create dialogue and critical reflection on female genital mutilation to accelerate its abandonment.

EMPOWERING FEMALES THROUGH FIT INDIA MOVEMENT PROGRAM

Fit India Movement is a nation-wide movement in India to encourage people to remain healthy and fit by including physical activities and sports in their daily lives. It was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on 29 August 2019 (National Sports Day). At present there are significant disparities in the gender distribution in India with a clear preponderance for males. At this juncture the government is taking all steps to improve the scenario. But the fact remains that there are very few initiatives being implemented to make the girl child stronger and healthier. Physical activity is important for everybody, including all teenagers, but especially for girls who are generally less active than boys in the same age. As teens juggle the transition from primary school to high school there are other pressures that come with it: socially, at home, and at school. Issues such as body image, the onset of menstruation, and general feelings of insecurity about the changing body can surface in these years. Physical activity sometimes takes a back seat to other priorities. However, physical activity is an important part of health and wellbeing, and girls should remain active as they grow up. The purpose of the research article is to shed light on the benefits which women and girls gain through participation in sports. The word Empowerment refers to increasing the spiritual, political, social, educational, gender, or economic strength of individuals and communities. Today sports and physical activity as a strategy for the empowerment of girls and women has been gaining recognition worldwide. Women could be empowered through education, sports and physical activities and by giving them equal opportunities in different walks of life. A woman is both Mahamaya and Maha Shakti and holds the key of the world. As Swami Vivekananda wrote that it is very difficult to understand why in this country so much difference is made between men and women, whereas the Vedanta declares that one and the same Conscious self is present in all beings. In short, woman empowerment is the breaking of personal limitations. Sports and Physical Education play important and major role in all these segments of women Empowerment.

PROTOCOL: Involving men and boys in family planning: A systematic review of the effective components and characteristics of complex interventions in low- and middle-income countries.

PROTOCOL: Involving men and boys in family planning: A systematic review of the effective components and characteristics of complex interventions in low- and middle-income countries.

The problems of violence against women in international law

The problems of violence against women and domestic violence were reflected in Goal No. 5 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which calls for gender equality and empowerment of women and girls while addressing such challenges as elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and girls; eradication of violence against women and girls in the public and private sphere, including human trafficking, sexual and other forms of exploitation; liquidation of all harmful practices, in particular forced marriages and female genital mutilation. In this article, the authors examine existing conventional and doctrinal definitions and qualifications of the terms “violence against women” and “domestic violence” in international law, explore international legal aspects of prevention and combatting violence against women and domestic violence, conduct a comprehensive analysis of a conceptual framework related to these offences, and present basic approaches to the concept of domestic violence. The authors also examine the link between two core international universal and regional legal acts in this field — Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combatting violence against women and domestic violence. The authors derive a new understanding of the due diligence principle (a well-known principle/standard in international law) with regard to violence against women and domestic violence issues, clarify its key components while codifying states’ main obligations in this sphere. In conclusion, the authors deduce that the questions of elimination of discrimination against women and eradication of violence against women can only be considered collectively, confirming the validity of the theory of a genderbased approach to the issue, which is adhered to by international human rights bodies.

Public policy on gender equality in the United Arab Emirates: A critical appraisal

Empowerment of women and girls is firmly on the political agenda in many countries around the world, including the UAE. This paper evaluates public policy to date with a focus on the extent to which historical and cultural factors have helped or hindered progress towards gender equality, and how contemporary influences are serving to advance or impede its progress. It begins with a review of the various composite indicators used for international comparisons and the risks of over-reliance on a single index number as a ‘catch-all’ measure of gender equality. This leads into a comparative case study analysis of the journey of the UAE alongside that of Rwanda, one of the highest-ranking countries in the world for gender equality. The main contribution of the paper is to propose six guiding principles for evaluation of public policy on gender equality that are consistent with the promotion of a sustainable society.

Looking Outward to Look Within: The Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal Mortality Summit, and What It Means for Women Everywhere.

Looking Outward to Look Within: The Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal Mortality Summit, and What It Means for Women Everywhere.

Menstrual Hygiene Management: Challenges and Coping Strategies for Adolescents with Disabilities in the Kumasi Metro of Ghana

Purpose: Effective menstrual hygiene management is vital to the health, well-being, dignity, empowerment, mobility and productivity of girls and women. This study was conducted to ascertain menstrual hygiene management challenges and coping strategies of adolescents with disabilities in the Kumasi Metro of Ghana. Method: An exploratory study design with qualitative approach was employed to select 18 participants. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, and then transcribed and categorised into specific themes. Results: Females with visual impairment had difficulty in maintaining good menstrual hygiene because of problems in detecting menstrual blood, inability to fix sanitary pads appropriately and wash underwear properly, and anxiety and stress from not knowing whether their period has started. The problems of those with physical impairment were related to inaccessible washrooms, long hours of being seated on the part of wheelchair-users, and difficulty in fixing sanitary pads for those with upper limb impairment. For those with hearing impairment, the main challenge was the communication barrier between them and their significant others whenever they needed help. Conclusion: There are common challenges faced by all girls across the globe with regard to menstrual hygiene management. Adolescent females with disability however face additional challenges with regard to MHM. Those with physical disability encounter accessibility challenges, while the main challenge for the deaf and those with speech problems is communication. The visually impaired live in anxiety due to fear of staining their clothes.

Vanilla bisquits and lobola bridewealth: parallel discourses on early pregnancy and schooling in rural Zambia

BackgroundAdolescent pregnancy is a complex socio-economic phenomenon ranking high on the global health policy agenda. Early childbearing is associated with early marriage and school drop-out, and is defined as a problem to the health and development of girls. This paper reports from formative research. The formative research aimed to explore socio-cultural and structural dynamics at work behind early pregnancy and school drop out in rural Zambia. The study findings have been used to inform a school based intervention to reduce early pregnancy (RISE: ‘Research Initiative to Support the Empowerment of Girls’). Theoretically the study is informed by social constructionism.MethodsA qualitative approach was employed. Semi-structured qualitative interviews (61) and focus group discussions (7) were carried out with girls (in and out of school), boys, parents, teachers, health workers and community- and district leaders in 2014–15. Systematic text condensation was drawn upon in the analysis of the material.ResultsThe study findings indicate that the official Zambian discourse that presents early pregnancy as a serious challenge and schooling as the prime way to confront the problem enjoy substantial support at community levels. However, a parallel discourse on fertility, early marriage and childbearing as social and economic security surfaced and was articulated by the same study participants. The latter contrasting discourse questioned schooling as the only solution to secure a girl’s future arguing that there are many reasons why early pregnancy may emerge as rational.ConclusionsGrasping the complexity of local discourse is vital in planning health interventions. The present study revealed that although delayed child bearing and schooling among girls enjoyed high status and legitimacy in the study area, the social and economic context worked to reward early marriage. Interventions to reduce early pregnancies in rural Zambian communities need to fundamentally address the material constraints that condition and reinforce a culture of early childbearing.

Rohingya Influx and Changing Gender Perception among the Host Community: the Context of Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh

The paper aims to understand the causes of changing gender perception in Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh after the Rohingya influx. Rohingyas have been playing a significant role in the life and attitude of host communities. The study revealed that Rohingya people and their culture are blending with the local people and culture which eventually is affecting the existing hosts’ tradition and practice. Even this blending is restructuring the socio-economic and religion-cultural practices of the host people. On the other hand, NGOs and INGOs are offering jobs to local women and girls. This opportunity though benefiting the stakeholders’ family is ultimately breaking the long-practiced social and religious structure of the society. By and large, the host people are conservative. Women and girls wear veils and they have no practice to work or job by going outside. So, this type of economic, societal, and cultural empowerment of women and girls sometimes contrasts with religious and social long drilled practices in the host area. Further, families who could not afford to manage any job in the camp feel frustrated and sometimes play a negative impression on the women's and girls’ mobility and job. Hence, the key question of the article is to know why the perception of gender in the host area is changing after the Rohingya arrivals. Methodologically, this is explorative research that followed the qualitative method instrumented with the Case studies, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). The paper has also endeavored to address the changing nature of women’s empowerment and gender dimension in the host area that occurred after the Rohingya influx which is not explored yet. Therefore, this study can be a fairy source for posterior researchers.

Partnership Biarritz: national context and international recognition

This article highlights the issues of equal women’s access to professions. The purpose of the study is to analyse Biarritz Partnership platform as an international gender equality initiative. Biarritz Partnership gives an opportunity to learn about positive international experience that can be a subject for imitation and use in national systems, including in Ukraine. At present, Ukraine has chosen a course to consolidate gender equality legislation, in particular, equal opportunities for women in profession. The confirmation of this is the initiation of Ukraine's accession to Biarritz Partnership. In the course of the study, it was analysed recommendations, mainly for the countries G7 regarding implementation of the progressive laws to ensure gender equality. Specifically, it was analysed such areas of combating discrimination against women, as: ending gender-based violence, ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education and health, promote the economic empowerment of women, and ensuring full gender equality in policies and in public life. The article focuses on the gender equality platform, which provides to countries the strategic opportunity to take a significant step toward equality through the adoption of laws and their implementation. In particular, the article analyses the Recommendation of the Gender Equality Advisory Council for advancing gender equality and the empowerment of girls and women and Call to Action. Recommendation of the Gender Equality Advisory Council contains illustrations of the laws of certain country, adoption of whose show positive developments in the area of women's rights. The platform of gender equality is created for discussion that allows leaders of G7 members and other countries to focus on gender equality, and in particular, on women's access to the profession. Biarritz Partnership draws countries' attention to urgent issues and encourages countries to dialogue to close gaps in gender legislation. The article focuses on the importance of studying, discussing and researching the international experience of countries where there is a positive practice of implementation legislation concerning women's access to the profession. This is the key to a quality settlement of the issue of protection of women's rights in Ukraine. The practical significance of this article is to explore the issue of women's free choice of profession. Such knowledge will help to remove barriers to women's access to economic opportunities. Scientific developments in this field can be used to ensure gender equality, to amend in the existing legislative of Ukraine in order to protect human rights to women's free choice of profession and place of work. Keywords: Biarritz partnership, gender equality, women's access to the profession, free choice of professions, protection of human rights

Creación de escenarios de diálogo intercultural para la eliminación de la mutilación genital femenina

La lucha por eliminar la mutilación genital femenina choca con diversas justificaciones provenientes de la tradición y la cultura de las comunidades que la practican. Esta investigación busca determinar cómo se relacionan dichas justificaciones con la resistencia a la aplicación universal de los derechos humanos. Para ello se hace una revisión y análisis bibliográfico y documental, en el marco del debate sobre diversidad cultural y la pretensión de universalidad de los derechos humanos, con el fin de comprender esas justificaciones y las dificultades que entraña para las niñas y mujeres decidir al respecto. Como resultado, se propone crear escenarios de diálogo intercultural para propiciar el empoderamiento de mujeres y niñas, generar la posibilidad de oponerse a esta práctica y promover la creación de rituales alternativos por las mismas comunidades.

Violence experienced by the girls with hearing impairment in the schools and its impact on their education

School based violence is a type of youth violence that occurs within school premises. A students can be a victim, perpetrator or a witness of school based violence. The incidence of violence prevails more among girls with hearing impairment due to their communication and language problems. The main objectives of conducting this research were to explore the nature and type of violence experienced by the girls with hearing impairment studying in the schools of Punjab, highlight the impact of violence on their academic outcomes and to see the role of school administration for the rehabilitation of victimized girls. A qualitative research design was used to conduct the study. The population of the study consisted of girls with hearing impairment studying at secondary level in the schools of Punjab province. A sample of 17 girls with hearing impairment was purposively selected from the 17 schools of Punjab. Researchers took only those girls who had been victim of violence once and more in their life during school hours. An interview protocol was developed to take interview in-depth interviews from the victimized girls. Based on the interviews, violence experience by the girls characterized into four themes including physical, psychological, sexual and verbal abuse. The study concluded that all types of violence effects on the overall personality and in particular on the academic performance of victim. The study highlighted that schools have not any formal system to deal the violence related issues. Study recommended for the empowerment of girls with hearing impairment to raise their voices against violence. 

Gender Inequalities and Social Sustainability. Can Modernization Diminish the Gender Gap in Political Knowledge?

The gender gap in political knowledge is a classical problem of Western democracies. In the 21st century, political knowledge is still unequally distributed between men and women, as many cross-section studies have shown. This is an indicator of women’s disempowerment and the distance which remains to be covered to achieve an inclusive and sustainable society. Could public policies and gender equality laws change the situation? Using a longitudinal database in which 600,000 survey responses are analysed from 1996 to 2017, this case study of Spain aims to shed some light on this question. It combines sociological and political approaches in line with the development theory of the gender gap of Inglehart and Norris (2000, 2003), whose core argument is that modernization changes cultural attitudes toward gender equality. From this perspective, this paper proposes the following hypothesis: the modernization process of Spain (from a dictatorship to a democracy) has given rise to changes in traditional sex roles, driving women‘s access to political knowledge and diminishing the gender gap. This is a step towards achieving objective number 5 of the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development (gender equality and empowerment of women and girls), according to which gender equality is not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

IN THE MAKING OF A BETTER WORLD: U N SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS, 2030

Sustainable development can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The Brundtland Commission Report 1987 defines Sustainable Development thus “Sustainable Development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” From the very beginning the United Nations have taken the initiative to make Sustainable Development a reality to protect our planet from degradation and depletion in various forms. The Declaration of the UN Conference on the Human Environment or Stockholm Declaration was adopted on June, 1972 by the UN Conference on the Human Environment at the 21st plenary meeting as the first document in International Environmental law to recognize the right to a healthy environment. In the declaration, the nations agreed to accept responsibility for any environmental effects caused by their actions. Keeping this in view the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted 27 principles intended to guide future sustainable development around the world in tune with the Stockholm Declaration 1972 on Human Environment. In this paper an attempt would be made to study the various aspects of sustainable development especially reducing inequalities in all forms, including the empowerment of women and girls’ and the most marginalized. To focus on balanced and sustainable economic growth with employment creation which is fundamental for addressing the multi-dimensional nature of poverty and which must be decoupled from environmental degradation. KEYWORDS: Degradation, Depletion, Empowerment, Poverty, Global Challenge

The impact of the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) on short and long term social, economic, education and fertility outcomes: a cluster randomized controlled trial in Zambia

BackgroundAdolescent girls in Zambia face risks and vulnerabilities that challenge their healthy development into young women: early marriage and childbearing, sexual and gender-based violence, unintended pregnancy and HIV. The Adolescent Girls Empowerment Program (AGEP) was designed to address these challenges by building girls’ social, health and economic assets in the short term and improving sexual behavior, early marriage, pregnancy and education in the longer term. The two-year intervention included weekly, mentor-led, girls group meetings on health, life skills and financial education. Additional intervention components included a health voucher redeemable for general wellness and reproductive health services and an adolescent-friendly savings account.MethodsA cluster-randomized-controlled trial with longitudinal observations evaluated the impact of AGEP on key indicators immediately and two years after program end. Baseline data were collected from never-married adolescent girls in 120 intervention clusters (3515 girls) and 40 control clusters (1146 girls) and again two and four years later. An intent-to-treat analysis assessed the impact of AGEP on girls’ social, health and economic assets, sexual behaviors, education and fertility outcomes. A treatment-on-the-treated analysis using two-stage, instrumental variables regression was also conducted to assess program impact for those who participated.ResultsThe intervention had modest, positive impacts on sexual and reproductive health knowledge after two and four years, financial literacy after two years, savings behavior after two and four years, self-efficacy after four years and transactional sex after two and four years. There was no effect of AGEP on the primary education or fertility outcomes, nor on norms regarding gender equity, acceptability of intimate partner violence and HIV knowledge.ConclusionsAlthough the intervention led to sustained change in a small number of individual outcomes, overall, the intervention did not lead to girls acquiring a comprehensive set of social, health and economic assets, or change their educational and fertility outcomes. It is important to explore additional interventions that may be needed for the most vulnerable girls, particularly those that address household economic conditions. Additional attention should be given to the social and economic environment in which girls are living.Trial registrationISRCTN29322231. Trial Registration Date: March 04, 2016; retrospectively registered.

Acceptability of youth clubs focusing on comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education in rural Zambian schools: a case of Central Province

BackgroundThe youths in Zambia have limited access to information concerning Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and this puts them at risk of unwanted pregnancies. Talking about other methods of preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections than abstinence is regarded as culturally unacceptable. The Research Initiative to Support the Empowerment of Girls (RISE) is a cluster randomised controlled trial testing the effectiveness of different support packages on teenage pregnancies, early marriages and school drop-out rates. One of the support packages included youth clubs focusing on Comprehensive Sexual and Reproductive Health Education (CSRHE).Although similar interventions have been implemented in other settings, their integration process has been complex and comprehensive assessments of factors shaping acceptability of CSRHE are lacking. This article qualitatively aimed at identifying factors that shaped the acceptability of CSRHE youth clubs in rural schools in Central Province.MethodA qualitative case study was conducted after the youth clubs had been running for a year. Data were gathered through eight focus group discussions with grade eight pupils and eight individual interviews with teachers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe perceived advantage and simplicity of the clubs related to the use of participatory learning methods, films and role plays to communicate sensitive reproductive health information made the learners like the youth clubs. Further, the perceived compatibility of the content of the sessions with the science curriculum increased the learners’ interest in the youth clubs as the meetings also helped them to prepare for the school examinations. However, cultural and religious beliefs among teachers and parents regarding the use of contraceptives complicated the delivery of reproductive health messages and the acceptability of youth clubs’ information among the learners.ConclusionThe study indicated that CSRHE youth clubs may be acceptable in rural schools if participatory learning methods are used and head-teachers, teachers as well as parents appreciate and support the clubs.

Gay Men, The Invention of Ecclesial Injustice, and Aspirations for Redress and Renewal

Gay Men, The Invention of Ecclesial Injustice, and Aspirations for Redress and Renewal Joseph N. Goh (bio) The 2019 progress report of the Sustainable Development Goals states that despite notable developments registered in global efforts towards attaining gender equity (SDG5), these efforts are hampered and undermined by "insufficient progress on structural issues … such as legal discrimination, unfair social norms and attitudes, decision-making on sexual and reproductive issues and low levels of political participation."1 The understanding of gender equity in many parts of the world, however, is ordinarily limited to purposeful provisions for the sexual and gender empowerment of women and girls. For instance, the intended reforms in accordance with SDG5 in Malaysia—whence the case studies on gay men for this article are drawn—concentrate solely on female citizens in terms of the eradication of discrimination, violence, sexual exploitation, forced marriages and female genital mutilation (FGM), redressing unpaid reproductive labor, inaccessibility to leadership and ownership positions in socio-political and economic arenas, and attenuated accessibility to resources pertaining to technology as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights.2 While these reforms are indispensable in the pursuit of greater equity in Malaysia that is home to 32.6 million people,3 I argue that they ironically demonstrate a lack of inclusivity on numerous levels through a deliberate elision of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) issues.4 Malaysian leaders portray LGBTQ people as enemies of Islam, consumers of a deviant and immoral culture, satanic disciples, malady-stricken [End Page 360] miscreants, and hapless victims of western moral depravity.5 They dismiss LGBTQ rights, principally same-sex marriages, as antithetical to Malaysian values6 despite the fact that sexually diverse and gendervariant people are an indelible part of the history of the Malay Archipelago.7 Same-sex expressions are criminalized in both secular and Syariah (Islamic) laws.8 Protection against gender discrimination as enshrined in Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution has been interpreted as exclusive of sexual diversity and by extension, gender variance as both non-normative genders and sexualities are often conflated.9 For instance, gay men are sometimes perceived as obsessively desirous of Gender Affirming Surgeries and transgender women are accused of being men who merely impersonate women. State-sanctioned exclusion of LGBTQ people is not executed exclusively in Malaysian politics and jurisprudence, but also in non-affirming ecclesial spaces. Akin to Malaysia's deliberate focus on women and girls in its SDG5 advocacies, such churches readily embrace and support gender-related social justice issues, insofar as they represent "decent" and "respectable" heteronormative and cisnormative issues, such as those involving women and girls who conform to socio-culturally sanctioned gender performativities. These efforts are undeniably crucial but deficient in ecclesial efforts towards more holistic gender equity in the country. Fueled by one-dimensional approaches to biblical interpretation, tradition and canonical legalities, non-affirming churches stand as unyielding bastions that participate in the ossification of what the United Nations refers to as "structural issues" of inequity which contribute to suspicion and discrimination among LGBTQ people. In this article, I showcase narratives from Malaysian Christian gay men that evince the injustice they experience in their own churches and their hopes for a more affirming praxis of communal Christianity in the country. "Aadesh," "Artisan," "Freddie," "Henri" and "Rainbowboy", whose selected narratives I feature, are English-speaking, educated, self-identifying gay men of various Christian denominations from Malaysia's Klang Valley who participated in a more expansive qualitative research project I undertook between 2012 and 2014 involving thirty Malaysian gay and bisexual men.10 While some of them continue to attend church services, others have ceased any form of ecclesial participation and formulated [End Page 361] individualized spiritualities or combined both, as most churches continue to act as sites of protracted oppression, intolerance and stigmatization for Christians whose sexual and gender identities are incongruous with ecclesial and theological heteronormativity and cisnormativity. I am not setting out to construct a gay-affirming or masculinist ecclesiology in this article, or generalize the experiences of Malaysian gay men. My intention is to accompany the discourses of a selection of Malaysians who are customarily silenced and disregarded due to condescending perceptions...

A Study of menstrual hygiene practices of non-working women

Menstrual hygiene practices are indispensable for women and girls. Menstrual hygiene is vital to the health, well-being, dignity, empowerment, mobility and productivity of women and girls. This study was conducted of menstrual hygiene practices, knowledge and availability and to know menstrual hygiene practices among non working women of Udaipur, Rajasthan who were below 35 to above 35 years using structured proforma. The results indicated that all the respondents were aware of menstrual hygiene products. Among them, 75 per cent used sanitary pads, 20 per cent cloth, and 5 per cent used tampons during their menstrual cycle. Majority of respondents (92.5 %) purchased menstrual hygiene products on their own, 7.5 percent took family members help to buy menstrual hygiene products. Information gathered regarding satisfaction reveals that 62.5 per cent were completely satisfied while 37.5 per cent were not. Problems faced on use of menstrual products include rashes (17.5 %), itching (5 %), irritation (5 %). Around 62.5 per cent. respondents stated that they were influenced by advertisements shown in media and 37.5 per cent respondents stated that media had no influence on their choice of menstrual products. There is necessity to increase knowledge among non working women regarding hygienically safe menstrual practices. In menstrual hygiene products the sanitary pads is most popular for non working women because it is hygienically safe and comfortable in menstrual cycle and easily available in every locality.