As part of Gracia Raina Foundation's #EveryMother programme, a reproductive health and mental well-being workshop was organised for the incarcerated women of Karnal Jail, Haryana on April 12, Friday.

 Attended by 70 women, the #EveryMother workshop was led by Priyanka Chaudhary Raina, Founder-Director, Gracia Raina Foundation and  Dr. Upneet Lalli, Deputy Director, Institute of Correctional Administration. It was presented by Dr. Nivedita Raizada, Senior Gynaecologist Rainbow Hospital New Delhi & Ms. Keshav Sharma Psycho-oncologist, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon.

It was organised to assist them with a platform where they would gain & share knowledge about their varied challenges. The visiting health experts covered a multitude of topics such as nutrition, menstrual health & menopause, pregnancy & family planning, breast & cervical cancer, and self-care with body hygiene.

 

Prisons can be challenging, especially for women who have been distanced from their families & children for years and been confined into spaces that are inhabitable – in terms of sanitation, ventilation, and such. A woman's reproductive and sexual health systems are already delicate and these conditions only put her at a higher risk of contracting certain illnesses.

 Therefore, it is really crucial that incarcerated women are provided with the right knowledge so that they are able to assess their mental & physical health needs better and take appropriate action inside and also once they are released.