Quetta: The Forum for Dignity Initiatives (FDI) has urged the government of Balochistan to formulate and enact a comprehensive provincial menstrual hygiene policy backed by annual budget allocations to ensure functional sanitation infrastructure across educational, health, and public institutions.
Speaking during a series of consultative sessions in Quetta, FDI Executive Director Uzma Yaqoob noted that menstrual hygiene management remains one of the most neglected areas of public administration, despite directly impacting a significant majority of women and girls across the province.
Ms Yaqoob explained that in the absence of a legal framework, basic hygiene facilities in schools, medical centres, and public spaces remain inconsistent, relying largely on the personal initiatives or budgets of individual departmental heads. Consequently, while a small fraction of institutions offer adequate facilities, women and school-aged girls in most locations remain deprived of essential amenities.
Emphasising that institutional development requires ongoing maintenance rather than simple installation, the FDI stressed that public spaces and schools must feature private, secure washrooms equipped with running clean water, soap, designated rest areas, and hygienic waste disposal systems.
"Establishing infrastructure alone is not enough; its maintenance and functioning must also be ensured. A girl’s education and school attendance should not depend on whether her school has a functional and safe washroom." Uzma Yaqoob, Executive Director, Forum for Dignity Initiatives
The organisation called on provincial lawmakers and relevant civil departments to institutionalise hygiene management as a standard public service requirement to reduce school dropouts and protect public health.
