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23rd September 2022

BALCO conducts district-level training program on menstrual health management

  • Organized in association with Women & Child Development Department, Chhattisgarh, & Sarthak Jan Vikas Sanstha for over 130 anganwadi workers and lady supervisors

Balconagar: 23rd September, 2022: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium Business, conducted a two-day district-level training programme on menstrual health management at Korba, Chhattisgarh. The training session was organized in association with Women & Child Development Department, Chhattisgarh, and Sarthak Jan Vikas Sansthan, NGO partner under the aegis of project ‘Nayi Kiran’. The training session witnessed participation of over 130 anganwadi workers and lady supervisors from different blocks of Korba district.

The two-day training programme entailed different sessions and activities on importance of menstrual health as a biological process, addressing social stigmas attached with it, health problems associated with menstruation, nutritional diet to be followed during menstruation, and so on. The participants were also trained on ways to sensitise adolescent girls and women on the need for proper menstrual health management. During the session, the participants collaboratively drafted a strategy on helping adolescent girls avail the benefits of different government schemes for them.

Appreciating the efforts undertaken by BALCO, Mr. M.D. Nayak, District Program Officer, Women & Child Development Department, Korba, said, “I want to urge the aganwadi workers and the lady supervisors to further sensitize the community members on this subject in order to make this training programme truly successful. BALCO has launched a dedicated project on menstrual health management, which is commendable. I am certain that our efforts will result in improving the collective health status of women in the region.”

Talking about the initiative, Mr. Abhijit Pati, CEO and Director, BALCO said, “Our Nayi Kiran Project is aimed at improving women’s health in the region through multiple interventions. One such pivotal intervention is capacity building of anganwadi workers and lady supervisors to enable them to become catalysts of change, demystifying myths and taboos related to menstrual health. The main objective of conducting such sessions is to mainstream menstrual health management as a subject, so that the focus can be on improving women’s health holistically. We have joined forces with the district administration for this mission, and we hope that this will truly make a difference to the lives of local communities.”

Sharing her experience, Kirti Jain, Lady Supervisor, Korba, said, “The training session was extremely informative. It has helped us develop the right approach to communicate the message on menstrual health management to the community. With such insightful sessions, I believe that we as frontline workers will be able to bring a positive change regarding women’s health in the region.”

Launched in 2019, Project Nayi Kiran reaches out to 45 villages and wards spread across rural and urban areas. As part of the project, BALCO has undertaken capacity building and leadership sessions with 60 adolescent girls’ groups, 60 women’s Self-Help Groups and 60 frontline workers, making them torchbearers on spreading awareness about safe menstrual health practices. In an inclusive step, the company has also worked towards sensitizing the male fraternity on the subject. 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 counselling the residents on menstrual health & hygiene related issues and for addressing queries, if any. Till date, BALCO has sensitized nearly 33,400 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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