Advancing Menstrual Health Through Whole-Community Engagement

The Problem We Are Solving

Menstrual health challenges are a significant driver of educational and health inequality.

As reflected in our work:

• 28% school dropout is linked to menstrual health challenges
• Menstrual health conversations are often restricted to women and girls
• Excluding boys and men reinforces stigma, misinformation, and silence
• Remote communities lack access to accurate information and products

Treating menstrual health as a “women-only issue” limits long-term change.

How Kusum Katha Responds

Kusum Katha was intentionally designed as a whole-community model, engaging everyone who shapes social norms.

Our approach includes:

• Mixed sessions with girls and boys, normalising conversations early
• Targeted engagement with men, building understanding and allyship
• Education on menstrual science, hygiene, and health for girls and rural women
• Partnerships with ASHA workers, Anganwadis, schools, West Bengal Police, and local institutions
• Distribution of sanitary products with repeat sessions and follow-up

By addressing menstrual health at the community level, Kusum Katha creates sustained behavioral change—not short-term awareness.

Insert Video: Kusum Katha | 15,000 Steps Toward Empowered Futures

Impact (Anchored in Numbers)

• 15,500+ beneficiaries reached
• 268 awareness sessions conducted
• 76 remote locations covered

SDG Alignment: SDG 5 – Gender Equality