With an aim to strengthen girls’ education, adolescent health, and gender-sensitive schooling, the Punjab Government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has launched one of India’s largest school-based menstrual health education initiatives for adolescent girls studying in government schools across Punjab.On the occasion of Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28, the Punjab Government announced the phased statewide expansion of “Menstrual Hygiene Curriculum” across government high and senior secondary schools in all 23 districts of Punjab. The first session of the curriculum is set to be conducted across these government schools tomorrow, i.e. 29.05.2026. This initiative is expected to directly benefit more than 3.4 lakh girl students from Classes VI to X studying in over 3,600 government schools.

The initiative reflects the Bhagwant Mann Government’s growing focus on creating a modern and inclusive public education system where girls are empowered with awareness, confidence, dignity, and access to accurate health information. By taking menstrual health education into classrooms at such a large scale, the Punjab Government has attempted to address an issue that has traditionally remained surrounded by silence, hesitation, myths, and social stigma.

Officials said the initiative is aimed at ensuring that menstruation never becomes a barrier to girls’ education, confidence, participation, or wellbeing in school life. The programme aligns with the spirit of the Supreme Court of India’s observations recognising that menstrual health and hygiene are directly linked to dignity, education, and equality for adolescent girls.

The Bhagwant Mann Government has launched the programme in collaboration with WASH United, an international non-profit organisation working globally on menstrual health education and awareness. Under the initiative, specially designed classroom sessions will be conducted through a structured curriculum called Menstrual Hygiene Curriculum, which has been developed in Punjabi to ensure students can connect with the content in a relatable and comfortable manner.

The sessions are conducted through interactive storytelling centred around the guide’s main character Ruby, a 10-year-old girl, along with guided classroom discussions and participatory activities to make learning engaging, relatable, and safe for students. The sessions focus on helping students understand menstruation and bodily changes, strengthen hygiene and self-care practices, build confidence and self-esteem, and create supportive school and peer environments.

To ensure effective implementation across Punjab, around 7,200 teachers have already been trained by the Punjab Government to facilitate these sessions sensitively and confidently inside classrooms. The programme follows a structured three-session intervention model that includes story-based learning and age-appropriate menstrual health education. The Bhagwant Mann Government also carried out extensive teacher preparation before launching the programme statewide. Around 100 State Resource Persons were first trained as Master Trainers, following which cascade training sessions were organised across districts to prepare teachers from thousands of government schools. Officials stated that this large-scale teacher training exercise would help create safe classroom environments where girls can ask questions openly and access correct information without embarrassment or fear.

The large-scale expansion of the initiative has been based on encouraging results from an earlier pilot programme conducted in more than 100 government schools across all 23 districts of Punjab involving over 45,000 students. According to findings shared by the Punjab Government, 97% of teachers involved in the pilot said they felt confident delivering period education through the new curriculum, while 94% recommended that the programme should be expanded across Punjab. Around 88% teachers found the curriculum easier and more effective than previous approaches, while 80% observed active participation by students during classroom sessions.

Teachers associated with the pilot programme said the curriculum helped girls discuss menstruation openly without hesitation and encouraged them to overcome long-standing social stigma around periods. Jaspreet Kaur, a teacher from Faridkot, said, “The Menstrual Hygiene Curriculum effectively breaks menstrual taboos by creating safe spaces for girls to ask questions and share experiences. The interactive approach using stories, games, and visuals makes learning relatable and reduces stigma. It definitely is a transformative tool for dignity and inclusion.”

Another teacher, Monika Sood from Amritsar, said girls participated enthusiastically in the sessions and openly shared personal experiences regarding how menstruation is often treated inside homes and communities. She noted that lack of awareness about menstrual hygiene can create several health-related challenges for adolescent girls and that proper guidance can help them understand their bodies with confidence and dignity.

Teachers also highlighted that the programme succeeded in making conversations around menstruation feel normal and comfortable inside classrooms. Silvi, a teacher from Moga, said that girls and even teachers who were earlier hesitant to speak about periods were eventually able to discuss the topic openly and confidently during the sessions.

Students who participated in the programme also shared positive feedback about the sessions. Komal Preet Kaur, a Class IX student from Sangrur, said the sessions increased her confidence and helped her understand that periods are a normal biological process and not a disease. Another student, Dimple Rani from Moga, said she found the sessions highly engaging and even discussed the entire learning experience with her mother at home. Tanisha, a Class X student, said girls were able to speak freely during the sessions without shame because the curriculum made them feel comfortable and represented.

Officials stated that through this initiative, Punjab is not only strengthening menstrual health awareness but also building a more compassionate, progressive, and supportive education system for adolescent girls. By institutionalising menstrual health education within government schools, the Punjab Government is taking another major step towards improving student wellbeing, strengthening girls’ participation in education, and creating a more informed and empowered generation of young women across Punjab.

The initiative is also being seen as part of the broader education transformation being carried out under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, where the Punjab Government has focused on improving school infrastructure, teacher training, student wellbeing, and modern learning practices across government schools.