Berhampur, March: Reinforcing its commitment towards community health, adolescent well-being and gender equity, TP Southern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPSODL), a joint venture between Tata Power and the Government of Odisha, has successfully implemented a large-scale Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) Awareness Program across southern Odisha under its CSR initiatives. The program covered eight districts and reached more than 10 thousand adolescent girls and women. The initiative focused on spreading awareness on menstrual health, promoting hygienic practices, dispelling myths and taboos surrounding menstruation and improving access to menstrual hygiene products while encouraging open and scientific discussions on the subject.
Menstrual health education remains a crucial component of adolescent health and social development, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where limited awareness, social stigma and inadequate access to hygienic menstrual products often affect the physical health, confidence and school attendance of adolescent girls. Recognising these challenges, TPSODL designed the initiative to empower adolescent girls with accurate knowledge about menstruation, encourage safe hygienic practices and promote open conversations around menstrual health within families and communities so that girls can manage menstruation safely and with dignity.
The initiative was implemented across eight districts of southern Odisha – Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Boudh, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Nabarangpur. These districts are characterised by difficult terrain with large stretches of hills, forests and remote habitations, and many areas are predominantly inhabited by tribal communities. Considering the scattered settlements and connectivity challenges, awareness sessions were organised at government and private schools, community halls, Anganwadi centres, community health centres and village-level community spaces to ensure wider outreach.
In total, 77 sessions were organised, with Ganjam recording the highest number at 12, followed by Koraput with 11 and Malkangiri with 10 sessions. Gajapati, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur and Rayagada hosted 9 sessions each, while Boudh conducted 8 sessions, reflecting balanced coverage across operational areas.
The sessions were facilitated by trained professionals including doctors, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), nurses, NGO representatives and community health workers. Doctors from Berhampur, Bhubaneswar and different districts of southern Odisha actively participated and interacted with the girls, explaining menstrual health, hygiene practices and reproductive health in a simple and scientific manner while addressing their questions.
Several community-based sessions were also organised to reach out-of-school girls and women with the support of Gram Panchayat Level Federations (GPLFs), Self Help Groups, Community Resource Persons (CRPs) and Master Book Keepers (MBKs). The initiative included 12 exclusive sessions for women across districts including Ganjam, Koraput, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Boudh and Nabarangpur, with participation ranging between 99 and 159 women per session.
To reinforce hygienic practices, menstrual hygiene materials were distributed during the sessions. The kits included reusable sanitary pads with covers, hand towels, liquid soap or sanitizer and informational leaflets, while disposable sanitary pads were distributed to participants and complete kits were provided to actively participating students.
The program recorded 10,110 participants. Ganjam reported the highest attendance with 1,530 participants, followed by Malkangiri with 1,429 and Koraput with 1,398. Kandhamal recorded 1,259 participants, while Rayagada and Nabarangpur reported 1,220 and 1,197 respectively, and Boudh and Gajapati recorded 1,049 and 1,028 participants.
TPSODL CEO Mr. Amit Kumar Garg said, “Menstrual health awareness is essential for ensuring the health, dignity and confidence of adolescent girls and women. Through such initiatives, TPSODL aims to encourage informed discussions and promote safe menstrual practices among communities. We are committed to reaching even the most remote and tribal regions so that young girls receive the knowledge, support and resources they need to manage menstruation with confidence and dignity.”
