The Thane period room is a menstrual hygiene space built inside a community toilet in a Thane slum in January 2021. The Thane Municipal Corporation set it up with the Muse Foundation for about Rs 45,000. It gave women water, a jet spray, soap and a safe dustbin to change and dispose of sanitary products.
The project was widely reported as the first of its kind in a public toilet in an Indian slum. Five years on, it is still a useful example of how a small, low-cost change can help women who have no toilet at home. This explainer covers what was built, why, and where menstrual hygiene policy stands in 2026.
Quick facts: the Thane period room
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opened | Early January 2021 |
| Where | A women’s community toilet block in the Wagle Estate area of Thane, Maharashtra (reports name Shanti Nagar and Lokmanya Nagar) |
| Built by | Thane Municipal Corporation with the Muse Foundation; design and build by Recycle Bin |
| Cost | About Rs 45,000 |
| Plan announced | Replicate it in the city’s 120 community toilets |
What is inside the Thane period room
The room was added to an existing block of community toilets. Reports by PTI and The Swaddle listed these features:
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- Running water and a jet spray for washing
- A soap dispenser and toilet roll holder
- Hooks to hang clothes while changing
- A dustbin with a bottom lid, so women do not have to touch used pads
- A women’s urinal made from a washbasin
- A mirror, and information on menstrual hygiene in several languages, including Marathi
The walls were painted in bright colours with murals about hygiene and sanitation. The aim was to make the space feel clean and welcoming, rather than a place women would avoid.
Why Thane needed a period room
The idea came from a 2019 survey by the Muse Foundation, a Thane-based NGO that works on menstrual health. It covered about 1,000 people across 15 slums in Thane.
- About 67% of women surveyed had no toilet at home.
- About 56% of female students said they had no access to clean toilets at their school or college.
- About 18% of working women had no clean toilet at their workplace.
Women in these homes depended on community toilets. Many had no private place to change a pad or cloth, no water to wash and no proper way to throw away used products. Some had only a small washing corner at home, used quietly when no one was around.
How the period room was received
In the first weeks, use was low. The Swaddle reported that only a few girls had come to see the room, because awareness was limited and stigma around periods is strong.
To change that, the NGO planned awareness sessions for local women and girls, and an attendant was placed at the toilet block to keep the room clean and explain safe disposal. A civic official told PTI that the plan was to replicate it in all 120 community toilets in the city.
We could not find a recent public update from the Thane Municipal Corporation on how many period rooms are now running. Readers in Thane can check with their ward office or the corporation’s official channels for the current status.
Period poverty in India: the bigger picture
Period poverty means not having access to safe menstrual products, clean toilets, water, disposal or basic information about periods. It affects school attendance, work and health.
The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019 to 2021) found that about 78% of women aged 15 to 24 used a hygienic method of menstrual protection. That figure hides wide gaps:
| Group (women aged 15 to 24) | Using a hygienic method |
|---|---|
| Urban | 90% |
| Rural | 73% |
| 12 or more years of schooling | 90% |
| No schooling | 44% |
| Highest wealth group | 95% |
| Lowest wealth group | 54% |
About half of young women also reported using cloth, often along with other methods. Reusing cloth safely needs water, soap and a private place to wash and dry it, which is exactly what slum toilets often lack.
What changed in 2026: the Supreme Court ruling
On 30 January 2026, a Supreme Court bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan held that menstrual hygiene is part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court directed all states and Union Territories to ensure that schools give adolescent girls free biodegradable sanitary napkins and have working, separate toilets for girls.
The order applies to both government and private schools, covering girls in Classes 6 to 12. Private schools that fail to comply risk losing recognition, according to All India Radio News. The ruling covers schools, not community toilets, but it sets a clear national standard on menstrual dignity.
Why the Thane model still matters
The period room showed that a civic body does not need a large budget to help. At about Rs 45,000, the cost was small compared with most public works.
The bigger lesson is that hardware alone is not enough. Water, maintenance, an attendant and steady awareness work decide whether women actually use such a space. Read more on women’s health in our Health section and on social issues under Buzz.
Further reading: The Logical Indian.
Frequently asked questions
What is a period room?
A period room is a private space, usually inside a toilet block, with water, soap, a jet spray and a safe dustbin, so women can change and dispose of menstrual products hygienically.
Where was India’s first period room set up?
It was set up in January 2021 in a community toilet in a Thane slum, by the Thane Municipal Corporation and the Muse Foundation.
How much did the Thane period room cost?
The Thane Municipal Corporation said it cost about Rs 45,000, which officials described as a low-cost model that could be copied.
What did the Supreme Court say about menstrual hygiene in 2026?
In January 2026, it ruled that menstrual hygiene is part of the right to life and ordered free sanitary pads and separate girls’ toilets in all schools. For more, see our Education section.
Sources: The Swaddle, PTI via LatestLY, The Tribune on NFHS-5, All India Radio News.
