Ujaas’ Powerful Street Plays Challenge Taboos & Normalize menstruation ahead of World Menstrual Hygiene Day
Pune (Voice News Service): Ujaas, the social initiative by Aditya Birla Education Trust, is making significant strides in their mission to break the stigma surrounding menstruation and foster open conversations about menstrual health and hygiene. The impactful street plays held across Pune have made a lasting impression on the community. These powerful performances, titled “Breaking the Silence: Let’s Normalize Periods,” were designed to challenge societal norms, ignite acceptance, and promote inclusivity.
The talented Saad play group presented the mesmerizing street play at six prominent locations across the city, including Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, MAVIM SHG Communities 1 and 2, Swargate bus depot, Kalakar katta – FC road, and Karve road khau galli. The performances drew a remarkable crowd, bringing together a diverse audience of students, doctors, and people from various backgrounds to witness this event. In addition to the street plays, Ujaas has also conducted various initiatives such as wall painting, workshops for visually impaired amongst others throughout the year to drive awareness. These initiatives include wall paintings and other forms of creative expression to further promote their cause.
The aim of the street play was to educate and empower both women and men, emphasizing the importance of menstrual health, proper hygiene practices, and dispelling prevalent misconceptions. Ujaas firmly believes that organizing such impactful plays is instrumental in dismantling barriers and fostering open discussions about menstruation, which is an experience shared universally but often surrounded by myths, silence, and stigma.
Reflecting on the impact of street plays, Advaitesha Birla, Sociopreneur and Founder of Ujaas, highlighted their unique power, stating, “Street plays possess unparalleled magic, an art form that captivates hearts and opens minds. Our mission is to empower individuals and ignite conversations that lead to change. Through this extraordinary street play, we call upon you to confront taboos head-on and join us in embracing menstrual health as a natural, celebrated aspect of life.”
With their ongoing awareness campaign, Ujaas has already conducted 2070 sessions and distributed an impressive 815,998 sanitary pads to 378 schools in 13 different locations. Ujaas firmly believes that organizing impactful street plays is instrumental in dismantling these barriers and fostering open discussions. Through this initiative, Ujaas aims to reach out and engage with at least 10,000 individuals in Pune this Menstrual Hygiene Day, encouraging them to join the conversation and help normalize menstrual health.
