To promote women’s health and break taboos surrounding the difficulty of menstruation, Thane-primarily based NGO Muse Foundation is setting up a pageant to have a good time period in diverse elements of Mumbai. Titled Maasika Mahotsav, which translates into Menstruation Festival, the ongoing week-length festival brings artwork, culture, and sports activities and educative sessions, all themed around girls empowerment menstruation. 
The festival is an extension of its 5-yr-old program, A Period Of Sharing, which turned into started in 2014. “It commenced whilst we have been astounded to read approximately a school in Dhanu (Maharashtra) which has many orphan girls who didn’t have a regular supply of hygienic products,” says 27-yr-vintage Nishant Bangera, who founded Muse Foundation in 2012. “So, we got here up with the marketing campaign A Period Of Sharing, in which we began accumulating materials from cities and commenced imparting them in Dhanu and on account that then we were given into the sector of Menstrual Health Management,” provides Bangera.
Gradually, his NGO started spreading awareness of approximately sustainable menstruation. “We held sessions throughout colleges, faculties, and societies in Mumbai, in which we spoke to about 3,000 women on what menstrual cups and fabric pads are and why disposable sanitary napkins are dangerous for health and environment,” remembers Bangera, who later realized that supplying technical know-how to girls is not sufficient. He has to contain the society at large in this communique to bring an exchange within the society. Hence he decided to organize India’s first menstrual festival Maasik Mahotsav in 2017.
“When we have been speaking to women, several matters got here up consisting of the products they use and how they cast off them, the practices they observe, and menstrual problems they face. For instance, many women do not wash their hair all through durations as they recollect themselves impure, at the same time as many others don’t contact matters edible, assuming that they will get soiled. Yet, some others undergo monstrous pain during periods without confiding in a person. That ache is probably due to something else altogether for which they could require immediate clinical attention,” says Bangera. “So, we idea the quality manner to break the ice is probably by way of speak about it. If we can have good time birthdays, why now not have a good time the very cause of birth?” he similarly states.
The pageant additionally invites medical doctors to talk about menstruation hygiene and damage to the taboos surrounding intervals. There are several activities to make it a lighter situation, together with a puzzle sport wherein a uterus model must be created to use the pieces. Besides, there are also activities like biking and soccer event. The festival is inclusive and aspires to involve the men and the prolonged circle of relatives individuals of the girls as nicely.
In its third year, the competition that’s concluding on Menstrual Hygiene Day, on May 28, is also being celebrated in states including West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Karnataka, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Assam, and the neighboring u. S. A. Nepal.
