Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)
Context:
In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court declared that the right to menstrual health and access to Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is an integral part of the Fundamental Right to Life and Dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Court emphasized that the lack of MHM measures in schools violates a girl child's bodily autonomy, privacy, and dignity
Key Constitutional & Legal Directives:
Article 21 & 21A:
The Court ruled that denying MHM facilities creates a gender-specific barrier to education, thereby defeating the guarantee of free and compulsory education under Article 21A.
The state cannot force a child to choose between dignity and education.
Mandate for Schools: All States and Union Territories must ensure every government and private school provides:
Functional, gender-segregated toilets.
Free oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins via vending machines, preferably within toilet premises.
Hygienic disposal mechanisms.
Schools failing to provide these facilities under Section 19 of the Right to Education (RTE) Act will face accountability, including potential de-recognition for private schools.
The judgment highlights the role of men, mandating the education of male teachers and students to prevent stigma and harassment.
ASTM D6954 Standard:
The judgment's emphasis on "oxo-biodegradable" materials links to technical standards like Advancing Standards Transforming Markets (ASTM).
These standard guides the testing of plastics that degrade in the environment through a combination of oxidation and biodegradation.
It provides a sequential framework to evaluate how polymers degrade under thermal or photo-oxidation followed by biological action.
This ensures that materials (mandated sanitary napkins) can degrade in environments such as soil, compost, or landfills without ecological detriment.
ASTM D6954 is a guide that helps scientists and researchers compare how different plastics break down in the environment.
It looks at two processes:
oxidation (when plastics break down due to heat and light exposure) and
biodegradation (when microorganisms break down plastics).