Women in Ghatampur’s brick kilns don’t have access to sanitary pads

Women working in brick kilns in the town of Ghatampur, Kanpur district, do not have access to menstrual hygiene products. In the absence of sanitary pads, many resort to using pieces of old cloth during menstruation, which often leads to infections and other health issues.

Affordability is a major issue among the women. Neha,* who works at a local brick kiln, shares, “We use cloth, but it causes a burning sensation and rashes. Pads are so expensive; where can we get the money to buy them? We wash and reuse the same cloth over and over.”

Shama* says, “We use whatever cloth we can find. It doesn’t matter if it’s cotton or georgette. When the kids’ clothes get torn, we use those. There are five girls in my house—three of us use cloth.”

Women who work in the kilns make INR 250 per day while men make INR 300. Given these meagre earnings, menstrual hygiene products are considered as a luxury. In addition, the nearest shop is 2–3 kilometres from their village. If they decide to travel the distance to buy pads, they lose valuable time that they could have spent working, which directly impacts their daily earnings.

The infections, when left untreated, are also exacerbated by the demanding nature of their work. Women employed in these brick kilns work for 12–14 hours a day and often have no time for bathroom breaks during their shifts, even when they are menstruating. The work itself—kneading mud, carrying heavy loads, and shaping bricks—puts significant strain on their bodies. The lack of proper hygiene facilities during menstruation heightens the risk of urinary and reproductive tract infections.

Rekha* says, “We don’t have the time to frequently change the menstrual cloth. It causes itching. Sometimes, the cloth slips and falls out, leading to more discomfort.” Rekha suffered an infection that eventually required medical treatment, costing approximately INR 5,000. The local doctor couldn’t treat her and referred her to a city hospital, which was more expensive.

Community healthcare also doesn’t cater to their needs. Shama adds, “The ASHA, ANM, and Anganwadi workers never come to check on us.” The healthcare workers maintain that they were never told that this was their job. Ratnanjali, an ASHA worker in Ghatampur, says that she has no information about distributing pads to these women.

With no effective interventions to address these issues, the women of Ghatampur’s brick kilns continue to bear the physical and economic burden of managing their menstruation.

*Names changed to maintain confidentiality.

Soni and Urmila Devi are Udaan Fellows. The Udaan Fellowship is supported by Buniyaad and Chambal Academy. Udaan Fellows Kajal, Ketki, Anju, and Rachna contributed to this article. Sejal Patel contributed to the research and writing of this article.

—

Know more: Learn why women in Assam’s flooded areas refuse to eat food.