A CSR initiative titled #BeFreeBeYou has been launched by Dollar Industries Limited in association with SEED (Society for Socio Economic and Ecological Development) to improve menstrual hygiene among underprivileged schoolgirls in West Bengal.
The campaign was announced at a press conference attended by company executives, NGO representatives, and actress Debadrita Basu.
Objective of the initiative
The primary goal of #BeFreeBeYou is to:
Improve menstrual hygiene awareness among adolescent girls
Reduce school dropout rates linked to lack of hygiene facilities
Address stigma and misinformation around menstruation
Provide access to affordable sanitary products in schools
Key interventions
Installation of vending machines
100 sanitary napkin vending machines in the first phase
Deployment across government schools in Kolkata and surrounding suburban areas
Focus on schools with high populations of underprivileged girl students
Awareness programmes
School-based workshops on menstrual health and hygiene
Education on physiological aspects of menstruation
Efforts to break cultural taboos and stigma
Public health and social context
The initiative is driven by concerns that:
A significant number of adolescent girls drop out of school due to menstrual hygiene challenges
Many girls lack prior awareness of menstruation before menarche
Limited access and affordability of sanitary products remain barriers, especially in eastern India
Studies cited in the announcement also highlight poor hygiene practices and associated health risks, reinforcing the need for structured interventions.
Schools covered in pilot phase
The first phase includes installation in multiple government and government-sponsored schools across Kolkata and nearby regions, targeting institutions with higher concentrations of disadvantaged students.
Overall significance
The programme combines corporate CSR and NGO collaboration to:
Improve menstrual health infrastructure in schools
Enhance dignity and safety for adolescent girls
Support education continuity by reducing hygiene-related dropouts
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