From a volunteer who taught spoken English at a local government school to educating over 6000 girls on menstrual health in Karnataka, Sinu Joseph has come a long way in three years. Here's her sharing her experiences over a cup of chai with Lakshmi Rebecca, the anchor of India's award-winning online talk show, Chai with Lakshmi.
To give you a context to Sinu’s work, here are some facts:
- 23 percent of girls in India leave school when they begin to menstruate
- 70 percent of Indian women cannot afford sanitary pads lack of knowledge on menstrual health and hygiene leads to health risks such as prolonged UTIs and in the long run, cervical cancer – which is the leading cancer amongst Indian women, killing over 73 thousand annually
In this episode, Lakshmi gets Sinu talking about how she is educating young girls and women on menstrual health and hygiene, lowering the health risks that accompany lack of information and changing the existing misguided notions on menstruation. Through the course of this conversation, Sinu explains the cultural taboos that prevent open discussion of the subject amongst women today, the dangers of not talking, why it is important to transcend cultural barriers - which are prevalent across social class and religion. Sinu says,
“I’ve done training sessions in corporate spaces, and these educated women cannot talk about their own period. That is what needed to change”.
In addition to speaking to girls and educating them, Sinu has also created a regional animated film that will help girls understand their own bodies and how to take care of their health better. Find out more about this film and Sinu’s inspiring work: watch the episode!
About the Show
Chai with Lakshmi is India’s first award winning online talk show. It brings you conversations with people who are positively shaping India for the future.
Follow the show on Twitter (@chaiwithlakshmi) and Facebook (http://facebook.com/chaiwithlakshmi)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}