Women's Commission to empower women prisoners through sanitary vending machines

The Maharashtra state women's commission has taken the initiative to install sanitary pad vending machines in nine prisons across the state of Maharashtra. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed by the state women's commission after the custodial death of an inmate in Mumbai's Byculla Prison to inquire and make a report about the facilities being provided to the inmates in various jails of the state, in terms of food, nutrition, and security.

The report from the SIT led to the decision of installing sanitary pad vending machines in nine jails in the state. The commission also decided to install burning machines in all of these prisons so that women inmates can dispose of their used pads easily. MSWC has also made it clear that after the installation of these machines, jail authorities will bear the cost of its upkeep and maintenance. The jail authorities, further, can decide on either giving the pads on a nominal cost or for free to the prison women inmates.

The commission has now started all these vending machines with 50 pads each, after which prison authorities may engage a contractor for the supply of pads and the maintenance of the machines. Earlier this year Bollywood star Akshay Kumar had managed to strike open a discussion about menstrual hygiene through his film Pad Man. which is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist who had introduced low-cost sanitary pads. Following its footsteps, Union Minister Ananth Kumar launched 100 percent oxo-biodegradable sanitary napkins 'Suvdiha' at a low cost in order to ensure Swachhta, Swasthya, and Suvidha for the underprivileged women of India.

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