Chennai, Dec 27( BPNS)

The Students of the elite Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) will be conducting a menstrual awareness programme,’ Unmute’ focusing on menstrual hygiene management. The students of the premier institute will also be conducting awareness programmes on self-defence techniques to prevent sexual assault.

A statement from the IIT- Madras said that these programmes are part of the annual student technical festival, Shaastra 2022. The students of the institute will conduct online sessions on gender inequality and its impact on the lives of people. Shaastra is the annual technical festival of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and Shaastra 2022 is being held from January 13, 2022, to January 16, 2022.

The IIT- Madras has partnered with NGO’s like Chudar, Go-Hygiene, CRY, Sakhya and Swayam for the awareness programmes. Every year the Shaastra team identify a social issue and create awareness in the society to tackle it.

The statement also said that the students of the IIT were conducting awareness programmes on menstrual cycle to school students of Chennai since October.

The students of IIT expect these measures to provide women with the confidence to tackle the issue and to become more confident in their lives and careers.

It is to be noted that around 23 million girl students drop out of school after they start menstruating and 62% of the women in the 15-24 age group use clothes instead of pads during the menstrual period.