‘Girls must not drop out over lack of toilets, pads’

NEW DELHI, 25 MAY

The Supreme Court on Monday stressed that girls should not give up education just because sanitary napkins and functional, gender-segregated toilets are not available at schools and asked the Centre to ensure that its directions regarding this are complied with.

The SC’s observation came after the Centre said its 30 January judgement directing authorities to provide free sanitary napkins to girls and functional, gender-segregated toilets at schools has led to galvanisation of efforts in all states and UTs.

“Now, it is for you to make the most of it and see that as far as possible, the benefits are extended in terms of our judgment,” the bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan told Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave, who was appearing for the Centre.

In the landmark judgment delivered on 30 January to ensure gender justice and educational equity, the SC had directed all states and UTs to provide free oxo-bio-degradable sanitary napkins to girl students and functional, gender-segregated toilets for all students at schools. It had issued a slew of directions to all states and UTs to ensure that these facilities were provided in schools irrespective of whether they were govern-ment-run, aided or private.