Chennai, May 30 (BPNS)

Tamil Nadu-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Gramalaya floated by Padmasri Damodaran has launched ‘Menstrual Café’ at Tiruchi in the state.

The café is launched as a safe space for women and adolescent children to speak about their menstrual health and to clarify doubts.  The café, according to Damodaran of Gramalaya is the first of its kind in South India.

The noted social worker while interacting with BPNS said, “We want to provide every woman and adolescent girl in the country have a healthy and safe menstrual period and to get any doubts regarding this cleared.”

He said that several college-going students and women approach Menstuaral Health Educators (MHE) to clear their doubts about menstrual education when they speak in colleges about menstrual health and hygiene.

Damodaran said, “During several such interactive sessions in colleges on menstrual health, many students approach our MHEs to clear their doubts on menstrual health and hygiene, and then we thought that we open a café where women and adolescent girls can clear their doubts on the subject.”

He said that most of the girls get menstrual education from their mothers or friends and in many cases, these children are not properly aware of their menstrual health or are ill-informed on the matter. T

Damodaran who was awarded Padmasree by the Government of India in 2021 for the yeoman service to the society through Gramalaya said, “ In most of the cases children are reluctant to ask their genuine doubts on menstrual health with their mothers, friends, and their teachers and instead of getting this information from Google, they can feel free at the menstrual café’s which we are planning to open across the state.”

The Menstrual café will be open from 10 am to 6 pm on all days except Sundays and the service is free. There will be two Menstrual health educators who will help and guide the women and adolescent girls who reach the café with doubts about menstrual health and hygiene.

The NGO said that if some girl has any serious menstrual cycle or health issue, then they will be referred to a hospital by the MHEs. The girls can also clear doubts with the MHEs on the sexual education as well from the menstrual café.

Damodaran said that the café has educational materials and resources on menstrual health and hygiene and has valuable information for women and adolescent girls on menstrual health.

He said,” This is a humble beginning from Gramalaya to help women and adolescent girls to learn more about menstruation through Menstrual café. We envision healthy and happy menstruation for our mothers and sisters. We are planning to open more such Menstrual cafes in the near future in colleges, schools, and universities and in corporate offices for students and working women.”

He said that he got the idea to open a menstrual café from the NGO ‘Sacchi Saheli’ which has opened such menstrual cafes in other parts of the country.