'Break the Silence' campaign gains new height
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, May 24 2014 :
The campaign of gender rights activist, Urmila Chanam has stepped up its pace as the countdown to the International Menstrual Day on May 28 is approaching.
'I can hold a placard and talk about the red droplets.
I want to be able to discuss and open a conversation on my menstruation when I want to.
How will I be able to learn about my menstruation, my needs and secure them, if not this way?" is the message from Urmila Chanam on the occasion of the approaching International Menstrual Hygiene Day that falls on May 28 .
She added, 'This is my message for all the girls and women who I am sure must be having messages of their own and one that comes from their life experience around menstruation.
Let's get together and talk about menstruation so that we can help each other and offer solutions' .
Urmila began a global campaign named 'Breaking the Silence' and 'Celebrating the Red Droplets' a little over a week ago on social mediaFacebook and Twitter, with a vision to raise awareness on menstrual hygiene and issues revolving around it in the country and the mission to engage as many girls, boys, women and men on the campaign and disseminate basic information to them on the biology of menstruation, the know-how of its hygienic management and the sociocultural aspects of menstruation.
In this short period, her campaign has included interviews of eminent public health and programme implementing professionals in the field of menstrual hygiene, key messages from representatives of international agencies, NGOs, activists and journalists, video messages from powerful women in the social impact sector, a helpline for girls to access information on menstruation and a test for guys to help them gauge their information level on the subject.
Certificates are being given to guys who take the 'guy test' and score 100% and the meritorious recipients are branded as ambassadors of 'Breaking the Silence' Campaign and capable of sharing accurate basic information on menstruation among their peers.
"Breaking the Silence' Campaign has received special media attention and appreciation from the key organizations and agencies which have a mandate on menstrual hygiene at international and national level.
KBOO Bread& Roses, America's longest running women's radio programme has carried Urmila's interview and details about her campaign on a special feature programme on May 23.A documentary film maker from the capital is set to make a short documentary film on her work, campaign and her goal in the area of women's health and rights.
The campaign will include training that Urmila is giving to girls in Pakistan over skype, release of a short film which is a compilation of all the video messages that people from around the world have sent to the campaign, a 3-5 km walk in the middle of Bangalore with supporters, women and men and few surprises she is keeping a secret for now.