BALCO builds awareness on menstrual health management among specially-abled students
Balconagar; 6th December, 2022: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium, conducted an awareness session on menstrual health management for specially-abled students at the Divya Jyoti School, Korba in commemoration of the International Day of Disabled Persons.
Under the company’s project ‘Nayi Kiran’ for menstrual health management, aimed at demystifying the myths and taboos related to menstrual health and promoting healthy practices related to menstruation, the company organized the informative session to build awareness among the students. It included a discussion on topics such as importance of menstrual health as a biological process, ways to manage menstruation independently with healthy and hygienic practices, the health effects associated with menstruation, the nutritional diet to be followed, and other vital information related to the biological process. The session also empowered the students with a better understanding regarding their sexual and reproductive rights.
Speaking about the importance of the initiative, Mr. Abhijit Pati, CEO & Director, BALCO, said, “The Nayi Kiran Project is aimed at improving women’s health within our communities through focused interventions. It strives to bring conversations on menstrual health management into the mainstream and thus enable an enhancement of the reproductive health of women in a more inclusive manner. We at BALCO are committed to going the extra mile towards spreading awareness on menstrual health & hygiene, for bringing about a positive transformation in the health of women and girls in the region.”
Appreciating BALCO’s endeavors, Ms Reeta Kshetrapal, Principal, Divya Jyoti School Korba & Chairperson, Inner Wheel Education Society, Korba, said, “The session on menstrual health management was extremely informative for our students and we extend our sincere thanks towards BALCO for undertaking this forward-looking initiative.”
Launched in 2019, Project Nayi Kiran reaches out to 45 villages and wards spread across rural and urban areas in Korba district. The project has undertaken capacity building and leadership sessions with around 600+ adolescent girls, 200+ women from Self-Help Groups and around 60 frontline workers till now, making them torchbearers for spreading awareness about safe menstrual health practices. In an inclusive step, the project has also worked towards sensitizing the male fraternity as well. Over 60 adolescent boys have also been made community champions on menstrual health awareness. This year, four Swastha Suvidha Kendras have also been established in villages for providing counselling on Menstrual Health & Hygiene related issues and for addressing queries related to menstruation. Till date, BALCO has sensitized over 45,000 women, men, adolescent girls and boys through Nayi Kiran.
Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) is India’s iconic aluminium producer. It is owned 49% by the Government of India and 51% by Vedanta Limited. BALCO is part of Vedanta’s Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, which is India’s largest manufacturer of aluminium. BALCO operates a 0.57 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh. It is also a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. With its world-class smelter and power plants, the company fulfills its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
About Vedanta Limited
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. Under the aegis of Vedanta Cares, the flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Vedanta and its group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2020, and were conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, CII Environmental Best Practices Award 2020, CSR Health Impact Award 2020, CII National Award 2020 for Excellence in Water Management, CII Digital Transformation Award 2020, ICSI National Award 2020 for excellence in Corporate Governance, People First HR Excellence Award 2020, ‘Company with Great Managers 2020’ by People Business and certified as a Great Place to Work 2021. Vedanta’s flagship Nand Ghar Project was identified as best CSR project by the Government of Rajasthan. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
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