International Youth Day 2024: Meet Mausam Kumari, Who Transformed Rural Bihar’s Reproductive Menstrual Health Scenario

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On the special occasion of International Youth Day, let’s read an inspiring story of Mausam Kumari, a young woman changing the reproductive health scenario in rural Bihar.

New Delhi: For too long, menstrual taboos have held women back, affecting their health, education, and well-being across different societies. Overcoming these taboos is key to empowering women and achieving gender equality. In numerous cultures, menstruation is shrouded in stigma and shame, resulting in restrictions on women’s daily lives and limited access to menstrual hygiene products. To foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for women, it is essential to challenge these outdated cultural norms.

Addressing menstrual taboos means promoting menstrual health education and removing the stigma around periods. Women need accurate information about menstruation and access to necessary menstrual products to maintain their health and hygiene.

On the special occasion of International Youth Day, let’s read an inspiring story of Mausam Kumari, a young woman changing the reproductive health scenario in rural Bihar.  The story of Mausam Kumari from Bihar’s Hardiya village exemplifies the power of one individual to create vast ripples of change. As the group leader of Kishori Samooh, an initiative empowering young girls with information about reproductive health and menstrual hygiene, she has not only helped destigmatize Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health (ARSH) issues but also set up free pad banks for girls and women in Nawada.

It was in 2016, that 14-15-year-old Mausam’s remarkable journey began, and learned about the Kishori Samooh through Sheela, a representative of the Population Foundation of India. While speaking of India.com, Mausam recalls, “Sheela didi’s initial attempts to speak with the village girls were met with skepticism, but she managed to get through to the reluctant parents via community meetings. Eventually, when more girls started attending, ‘Kishori Samooh’ was formed. It was a new experience to be given a platform where we could voice our concerns.”

In the beginning, Mausam’s dad was not too keen on her joining the Samooh. Nevertheless, as soon as her contributions started making headlines, and she was invited to narrate her experiences in Delhi, his attitude took a positive turn. Mausam recalls, “I will never forget the moment when my father said, “I am proud that you are my daughter.”

Back in 2018, at the Jan Samwaad—a meeting for addressing grievances related to the public health system— held at Rajauli Sub-Divisional Hospital, Mausam observed a noticeable gap – there was hardly any education concerning puberty and teenage health in rural health centers, and affordable sanitary pads were out of reach for less-privileged girls. This eventually led to the creation of a teenage health corner at the Rajauli Sub-Divisional Hospital complete with counselling services.

Thanks to the efforts of Kishori Samooh and Mausam, another petition at the panchayat level reached the health minister of Bihar, Mangal Pandey. This petition resulted in the establishment of a youth clinic in the Anumandal Hospital as well. Mausam is now also an active member of Ekta Kishori Samooh, the local chapter of Kishori Samooh. Apart from advocacy, she recognises the importance of creating practical solutions like a pad bank for underserved girls during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also been steering the Ekta Kishori Samooh’s efforts to make cloth pads and distribute them to the community.

Bijit Roy, Senior Programme Implementation and Community Engagement Lead at Population Foundation of India said, “Mausam’s contribution to community health is considerable. Mausam and Ekta Kishori Samooh conduct regular meetings at the Panchayat level. Apart from addressing health issues, they also tackle the menace of child marriage in their community. She and her group also work closely with ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers to distribute contraceptives and disseminate knowledge about family planning methods.”

The group also regularly assists Anganwadi centres to help women and children access healthcare. They have also facilitated the creation of 48 Ayushman Cards, providing free medical treatment up to Rs. 5 lakhs.

Mausam’s span of work continues to expand and she and her group have also reached out to school children to teach them about online safety with the help of SnehAI (an Artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, housed on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp Messenger). Mausam says, “To young people growing up in conservative communities, SnehAI provides a secure, personalized, and non-judgemental space to learn sexual and reproductive health as well as safe online behaviour.”

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