Menstrual Justice in Public Places: Bridging the Gap Between Awareness and Action

In recent years, menstruation in India has finally entered mainstream conversation. Campaigns speak of breaking taboos. Advertisements promote openness. Policies acknowledge menstrual hygiene as important. Yet, for millions of women and girls, stepping into a public space while menstruating still means uncertainty, anxiety, and risk.

Menstrual justice is not about conversations alone. It is about whether a woman can exist in public without planning her body around infrastructure that does not acknowledge her needs.

Awareness without action creates visibility, not dignity.

Menstrual justice goes beyond hygiene or product distribution. It is a framework that recognises menstruation as a matter of:

At its core, menstrual justice asks a simple question:Can a menstruating person access public life safely, comfortably, and without shame?

In public spaces where sanitary pads are unavailable, the answer is often no.

India has made notable strides in:

However, progress stalls when awareness is not matched with infrastructure.

A woman may know how to manage her period, yet still struggle if:

Knowledge does not replace access. Education does not substitute availability.

Most public spaces in India—airports, bus terminals, courts, police stations, government offices, parks—are designed without menstruation in mind.

Common gaps include:

When public infrastructure ignores menstruation, it silently restricts women’s mobility.

The lack of menstrual access disproportionately affects:

Consequences include:

Menstrual injustice is not dramatic. It is cumulative and deeply unequal.

The Indian Constitution guarantees:

When public spaces fail to accommodate menstruation, they indirectly violate these principles by making women’s participation conditional.

Justice cannot exist where dignity is compromised.

Menstrual access in public spaces is often treated as:

This approach is flawed.

Sanitary pads are not donations. They are necessities like soap, water, and toilets. Menstrual justice demands a shift from charity to institutional responsibility.

Bridging the gap between awareness and action requires systemic change.

Action-oriented menstrual justice includes:

Action makes awareness meaningful.

Without mandates, implementation remains inconsistent. Countries that have progressed in menstrual justice rely on:

India’s policies recognise menstrual hygiene, but lack enforceable standards for public spaces. This gap must be addressed to ensure uniform access.

Menstrual justice is not a niche concern. It improves:

A society that plans for menstruation plans better for care, equity, and resilience.

Posters, campaigns, and hashtags matter, but they cannot replace pads in washrooms.

True progress is quiet and practical:

Justice is felt in moments, not slogans.

Menstrual justice in public places is not about special treatment. It is about equal participation. When public spaces are designed to support menstruation, women move freely, work confidently, study consistently, and travel without fear.

India has spoken loudly about menstruation. Now it must act decisively.

Awareness opened the door. Action must allow women to walk through it with dignity.