I live in the Kamla Nehru Nagar slum in Patna. For the past four days, my home has been crowded with people. They come asking if I am Riya Kumari and take selfies with me. I have received a job offer.
On September 27, 2022, a workshop on women’s empowerment titled “Empowered Daughters, Prosperous Bihar” was organized by the Women’s Development Corporation (WDC) and UNICEF. School and college students were invited to participate.
I had the opportunity to speak up during the workshop. Initially, we all said that there are no toilets for girls in schools. The IAS Managing Director of WDC, Harjot Kaur Bamra, responded that if there are separate toilets in your homes, then you can expect them in schools. I directly asked her, “If the government is doing so much work, can’t we provide sanitary pads in schools for just 20-30 rupees?” I explained that we often don’t have money to buy sanitary pads. My friends and I have faced problems due to the lack of sanitary pads even after passing school. I stated that there should be sanitary pad dispensers in schools for when they are needed.
In response, IAS Madam said, “Today you’re asking for sanitary pads, tomorrow you’ll be asking for jeans, and one day you’ll ask for condoms too.” I reiterated that we vote for leaders. Anyone can win, but the government should work for everyone. Girls should have access to facilities. She replied, “Don’t vote; become Pakistanis,” and suggested that we were voting for money.
My question received applause from the audience, but IAS Madam did not appreciate it. She stated that there is no end to free things. I had many other questions, but she left the workshop.
A journalist was present at the event who reported the story. The next day, the news was published, and the workshop video went viral, leading to a flood of phone calls for me. Initially, I didn’t understand what was happening. Later reports stated that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would take action against the IAS officer, who later apologized. I only want to say that our questions were reasonable, and a government official should not speak like that.
While education for girls is supposed to be free, why is money being demanded? When the video went viral, the MD apologized and stated that each girl in grades six and above would receive 300 rupees for sanitary pads. However, the reality is that I never received any money for sanitary pads while studying in school.
There has been talk of making higher education free for girls in the state, yet I was asked for 4500 rupees to enroll in BN College in Patna. Without the money, I couldn’t take admission.
After the incident, officials from a sanitary pad manufacturing company visited my home two days later and offered me a job. I was directly offered a position. The company has stated that they will provide free sanitary pads for an entire year, and they will also cover any expenses for my further studies. This is like a gift for a poor girl like me.
I don’t have a father, and my brother works as a coolie at Patna Junction. I have three sisters and three brothers. My father used to work as a laborer and passed away in 2020 due to illness. Since then, the entire burden has fallen on my elder brother. He has been working as a coolie at Patna Railway Junction since he was 12 years old and has married off three of my sisters with his earnings. One of my brothers has been unable to speak since birth.
I am the only one in my family who studied until the 10th grade. My brother is the only earning member at home, making 300 to 400 rupees daily, which is enough to run the household. To lighten his load, I worked with an organization teaching children, earning six thousand rupees monthly. However, I was let go when the project ended.
I studied in a government school, and I am the only one in my family to study until the 10th grade. I always dreamed of getting a government job. For now, I will work at this company while continuing my studies. My work profile will focus on educating women about menstrual hygiene.
I want to tell girls to speak openly about periods and not be shy. Everyone in the family knows that girls have periods, so we should not hesitate when it comes to discussing sanitary pads. We need to drop the shame; otherwise, we invite illness.
