BARAMULLA: While most schools are quiet on Sundays, Aasima Jan heads into north Kashmir’s remote tribal villages to talk to girls and families about a subject many still avoid: menstruation. For years, the 42-year-old govt school teacher has conducted awareness sessions on menstrual health, hygiene and stigma, while also persuading families to re-enrol children who have dropped out of school. Her efforts earned her J&K’s “Best Teacher Award” in 2023.Recruited in 2003, Aasima spent seven years teaching at a govt school in Bandipora. In 2009, she noticed many girls missing classes for up to a week during their periods. Some said their parents barred them from attending school while menstruating.The turning point came when she found a student crying over the shame surrounding periods. “It broke my heart. I felt a deep sense of responsibility and resolved to do something about it,” Aasima said. The next day, she began taking extra classes on menstruation and started counselling parents. “I tell girls this is natural. It is not a disease, but a sign that they are growing up,” she said. Attendance among girls improved.Aasima then moved beyond the classroom, conducting monthly awareness sessions at schools and visiting villages on Sundays and holidays. She continued the sessions even after her transfer to neighbouring Baramulla district. Her outreach expanded to remote areas such as Gurez and Uri, and to nomadic Gujjar and Bakerwal communities.
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Every Sunday, she picks a village, contacts local panches and sarpanches, and conducts sessions centred on “awareness, acceptance and action”. In remote areas, she often finds girls using cloth during periods while families, including mothers, are reluctant to discuss menstruation. Aasima spends her own money buying sanitary pads to distribute during visits, while explaining their use and disposal.Her social media page, with around 40,000 followers, also promotes menstrual health and other social causes. For Aasima, the biggest reward is seeing students continue the work by spreading awareness and positivity about menstrual health.