Schoolgirls to receive vouchers for sanitary napkins after New Year

27 March 2024 12:04 pm

Colombo, March 27 (Daily Mirror) - After the upcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year festivals, steps have been taken to provide vouchers to schoolgirls to buy sanitary napkins, Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said.

He said the decision was targeted at increasing the hygiene habits of schoolgirls and providing opportunities for girls who face challenges in getting adequate sanitary facilities.

Accordingly, steps are being taken to distribute sanitary napkins to nearly 800,000 schoolgirls in difficult, extreme, isolated areas and schools with identified poverty.

The Minister further said that a Bill has already been presented to Cabinet for approval.

The expected provision to be spent by the government for this purpose is about Rs. 1 billion, and the value of each voucher is about Rs. 1,200.

The Minister also said that the aim of this programme is to provide support to girls from economically disadvantaged families by strengthening healthy habits among schoolchildren.