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ISLAMABAD: A new assessment of menstrual health in the Indian state of Odisha has found that although most schools report having separate toilets for girls, gaps in basic hygiene support and social stigma continue to drive high levels of school absenteeism among adolescent girls, according to The Hindu.&nbsp; The study found that 94% of surveyed schools had separate toilets for girls. However, researchers noted that many of these facilities lacked essential menstrual hygiene support systems, including access to water and soap. According to the findings, nearly 74% of female students reported missing between one and eight days of school during each menstrual cycle. The report identified pain and physical discomfort as the leading cause of absenteeism. Beyond health-related factors, the study highlighted broader structural and social barriers affecting attendance. Lack of privacy in school toilets, inadequate sanitation facilities and persistent stigma surrounding menstruation were cited as ongoing challenges that discourage regular school participation among girls. According to another report from Maqtoob Media, an independent Indian digital news outlet that focuses on human rights, 98,592 government schools in India&#39;s school education system still lack functional girls&#39; toilets, while 61,540 institutions do not have any usable toilets at all. The report raises concerns about basic facilities in government schools, exposing major gaps in the country&rsquo;s education system.&nbsp; India has 1.5 million schools serving more than 247 million students. The absence of adequate menstrual hygiene management in schools continues to undermine educational access, even where basic infrastructure, such as separate toilets, exists. The findings point to a gap between infrastructure provision and functional usability, with many schools meeting basic requirements on paper but failing to provide conditions that support consistent attendance. The report adds to growing concerns across parts of India about menstrual health and its impact on girls&rsquo; education, particularly in rural and underserved areas where stigma and limited resources remain deeply entrenched.

Girls school in Chennai, India - (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

India

Inadequate menstrual hygiene facilities and persistent stigma continue to cause high absenteeism among adolescent girls in Odisha and across parts of India.

Nearly 74% of Odisha schoolgirls miss classes during menstruation: Study

ISLAMABAD: A Muslim man was brutally beaten, stripped, and paraded in freezing winter in India. A video of the man was shared by an Indian journalist, Mohammed Zubair, on X on Sunday. According to the post, Sheikh Saroof, from Bahalda in Odisha&rsquo;s Mayurbhanj district, was reportedly subjected to <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/police-dispute-hate-motive-in-india-mob-lynching-rights-groups-note-rising-hate-crimes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">brutal assault.</a> Beaten and stripped&nbsp;He was <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/mob-targets-mosque-in-indian-capital-police-silence-draws-criticism" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">beaten</a>, stripped naked, and paraded in freezing winter conditions, had his hands tied, and was forced to chant religious slogans. The victim&rsquo;s elder brother filed a First Information Report (FIR), the post said. Case registered&nbsp;Mayurbhanj Police, later, confirmed that a case has been registered at Bahalda Police Station and that two accused persons have been arrested. Further investigation is ongoing, the police said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 273px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2012897959256477876&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=95f7a8dc962a5f32daa689ec5e69032de0984874&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

A video of the man was shared by an Indian journalist, Mohammed Zubair, on X on Monday; Mayurbhanj Police confirm a case has been registered at Bahalda Police Station and that two accused persons have been arrested.

Articles tagged with "Odisha"

Nearly 74% of Odisha schoolgirls miss classes during menstruation: Study

Muslim man beaten, stripped, and paraded in India; case registered

Nearly 74% of Odisha schoolgirls miss classes during menstruation: Study