PM Modi wins praise for breaking taboos, speaking about menstruation in I-Day speech

Team Udayavani, Aug 15, 2020, 1:24 PM IST

New Delhi: Social media users have praised Prime Minister Modi for breaking taboos by speaking about menstruation during his address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India’s 74th Independence Day.

Speaking about his government’s efforts for women empowerment, Modi made a mention of sanitary pads, saying “he government is constantly concerned about the health of India’s daughters and sisters. Through 6,000 the Janaushudi centres, about five crore women availed sanitary pads at Re 1.”

He added in his speech that the money earned through the sale of the pads would be used at the right time by the committees formed for the weddings of Indian “daughters and sisters”.

“We have worked for women empowerment. Navy and Airforce are taking women in combat, women are now leaders, we abolished triple talaq,” he added.

Pointing out that it’s very rare for a prime minister to talk about menstruation during a national address, social media users lauded the guts of PM Modi.

“If I’ve to ask any man from my family to buy me a pack of “sanitary pads”(most likely) they won’t do that.. reasons best known to them. But “My PM” went a notch higher.. For him to talk about providing same thing on a cheaper level for better sanitation needs… guts! THIS IS THE MAN WE NEED (sic),” wrote a user.

Gunja Kapoor, a user, wrote: “PM @narendramodi speaks about “Sanitary Napkins” from the ramparts of Red Fort. Woke Indians, don’t undermine the progressive social shift this indicates. This is HUGE – menstruation a mainstream conversation in conservative Indian (sic).”

“Can other countries imagine a PM speaking of both women’s achievements and providing sanitary pads widely from a historic platform? If people don’t find this progressive and path-breaking, what will?” one of the social media posts read.