In a move towards ensuring menstrual hygiene management, women factory workers are set to get free sanitary napkins at their workplace in Meghalaya.

The state cabinet approved the amendment to the 40-year-old Factories Rules to bring in the relevant changes, according to a government spokesperson.

The amendment also mandated the factories to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to all the workers in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

‘After discussion, the proposal to amend rules 25 and 78 (C) of the Meghalaya Factories Rules, 1980 was approved at the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday,’ said James PK Sangma, reported The Hindu.

The amendment was made after the Union Ministry of Labour and Employment wrote to the state government to incorporate provisions of sanitary napkins for the women workers under the Factories Act, 1948 and also to ensure PPEs for all the workers.

According to reports, the proposed amendment has several other provisions related to menstrual health including the availability of standardised quality and quantity of sanitary napkins.

To ensure proper disposal of both the sanitary napkins and the PPE kits, the women’s’ toilet would be equipped with disposal bins with lids and the process of disposal would be according to the procedure approved by the inspector.

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