Unshame shame: school girls talk freely about their reproductive health
KS Diwan/ royalpatiala.in/ Ropar
An adolescent health workshop was held at Rupnagar’s Govt. Girls Senior Secondary School. Attended by 800 girls, the workshop is a part of Gracia Raina Foundation’s RightAGE programme.
Led by Priyanka Chaudhary Raina, Founder & Director-Gracia Raina Foundation, and presented by Dr. Anamika Dubey, Senior Consultant, Adolescent Health, Rainbow Children’s Hospital, the workshop was aimed at helping adolescent girls better understand the various facets of reproductive health.
“It’s extremely crucial that as women we support other women. It’s important that all you girls share knowledge with each other, talk more often about reproductive health issues so that later in life you are able to take better, evolved decisions. There’s nothing to ashamed of, be more open about these issues and you’ll see the world change around you,” Founder, GRF, Priyanka said.
Parents play a significant role in shaping their children’s health, which is why it’s imperative they keep an open communication with their kids. Often parents shy away from doing this and it concerns us. It’s time we broke the ice, educated our adolescents about their own health, Priyanka added.
During the session, Dr. Dubey talked extensively about how menstruation leads to varied mental and physical changes, and followed it up with helpful suggestions.
Also, she elaborated on the subject of PCOD, pointing out that a sedentary lifestyle and bad nutrition are two major causes that may accelerate the condition. She further recommended that basic physical activities should be incorporated in an adolescent’s daily routine.
Teen pregnancy, mental health, and early marriages were some of the other key subjects that were touched upon at the event. So far, RightAGE has impacted over 2,000 girls spanning the cities of Delhi & Uttar Pradesh. It’s a pan India programme and will soon reach the cities of Rajasthan, J&K, MP & Jharkhand.
Gracia Raina Foundation was established in 2017 by Suresh Raina & Priyanka Chaudhary Raina with a simple goal of empowering women, in and on the cusp of their reproductive phase, with knowledge and awareness that further enables them to make improved reproductive and maternal health-oriented decisions.
A woman is most vulnerable when she’s in her adolescence, and that’s where our work begins, of providing individuals with a solid health base. It’s during this time that she experiences varied reproductive health changes that can be normalised by sharing knowledge.
GRF uses culturally sensitive awareness programmes as one of the tools to promote maternal wellness; further assisting women achieve dignity-based maternal-child care. What are we hoping to do? Ensure that mothers are well-informed about pregnancy-related challenges, resulting in happy, and healthy childbirths.
