Periods in Prisons: Short Report on Menstrual Hygiene Management in India's Women Prisons

The report focuses on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) standards and practices in women's prisons across seven states in the country (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu), based on responses from 11 prisons.

The report is organised into six themes:

1. Prison Capacity and Infrastructure: Most prisons had occupancy rates below 75%, with exceptions like Bhagalpur (90%), Udaipur (93%), and Kannur (100%). The number of children in these facilities varied.

2. Access to Water: Responses indicated that most prisons provided sufficient water for each prisoner, with no set limits on water usage for female inmates. However, hot water provision was only available upon medical recommendation.

3. Water Quality: Bacteriological water testing occurred twice a year in all prisons except Rajamundry. Few prisons were uncertain about the actions to take based on testing results.

4. Procurement and Quality of Menstrual Products:All prisons supplied free sanitary pads, but the quantity varied. Bhagalpur provided one packet, while Kadapa and Kannur allowed additional pads based on need, aligning with Model Prison Manual, 2016 standards.

5. Menstrual Waste Management: Various prisons followed different waste management methods, including separate dustbins and biomedical bags or external burning of waste.

6. Sensitization of Staff and Inmates:Few prisons conducted awareness programs on menstrual hygiene and mental health for both staff and inmates, while others had no specific initiatives.

Recommendations from the report include:

- Ensuring dignified use of toilets for ablutions, bathing, and changing menstrual products.
- Reviewing inmate capacity calculations with WASH standards in mind.
- Defining inmate-to-toilet and washing area ratios.
- Regularly checking the functionality of taps.
- Ensuring adequate hand washing facilities.
- Providing bins with lids in all barracks.
- Supplying clotheslines for drying used underwear and menstrual cloth.
- Increasing the daily water allocation per inmate to 135 litres.
- Providing extra water and time for menstruating women.
- Ensuring hot water availability.
- Creating informational material on various aspects of menstrual hygiene.
- Conducting awareness camps on good menstrual hygiene practices every six months.
- Promoting menstrual products that generate less waste.