Introduction: Discussion on women empowerment without addressing their basic needs would be meaningless. As such, the needs of women and girls have been prioritized in global sanitation efforts including menstrual hygiene. However, there is little research on existing approaches on menstrual management. India’s most ambitious sanitation campaign named Swachh Bharat Mission or “Clean India Mission” aimed to achieve universal sanitation coverage in every single household, targeted to end open defecation by October 02, 2019. This study aimed to assess the women’s perception of household sanitation facilities and menstrual hygiene management experience in Odisha under Swachh Bharat Mission. Methods: The study is a community-based survey having cross-sectional in nature conducted among 700 rural women and girls aged 15–45 years in the Balesore district of Odisha state in India from January to April 2021. A multi-stage sampling method was adopted to select the study participants. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire based on the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 survey questionnaire and analyzed by SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics was used to assess the household sanitation and menstrual hygiene management experience among women. Results: More than two-thirds (68.4%) of rural households use improved sanitation facilities. Around 30% of families have inadequate sanitation infrastructure, which means at least one household member defecates in the open space. Nearly 64.6% disposed of their menstrual absorbents in the bush or field, while 29.1% disposed in the river and 24.1% in the waste bin. Still, 40.6% of women were using clothes as menstrual absorbents, and 54.9% of the respondents reported washing their menstrual materials for re-use. Of those who washed and re-used, 99.2% said their re-use material was completely dry before re-use. About 69.7% of the respondents mentioned that they change their menstrual absorbents in sleeping areas at home. About 91% of the respondents reported that the place where they changed their menstrual absorbents was safe, clean, and private. Only 22.5% of women responded to having water and soap at their menstruation management area. Conclusion: The effort for improvements in sanitary techniques during menstruation is partly effective in creating healthy behavior. The current strategy for developing programs to adopt menstrual hygiene measures needs a bottom-up approach with women at the center. Components associated with menstrual hygiene management, such as women’s cleanliness, water supply, and the availability and accessibility of disposable sanitary napkins, should be given specific attention. It is essential to acknowledge the issues like toilet construction and behavior change communication to consolidate the gains in an era of “Clean India Mission.”

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In the last decade, digital technology has alleviated the importance of economical,geographical, social and political barriers and lessened the transaction costs. This is thus making the productivity, governance more transparent and empowering citizens. Does it provide a level playing field for men and women alike to optimize on the available digital resources or does the gender divide manifest itself in digital diversity. Today the digital transformation provides new avenues for economic empowerment of women and can contribute to greater gender equality. Internet, digital platforms, mobile phones, e-commerce and digital financial services offer phenomenal opportunities for all and can help bridge the divide by giving women the scope to earn additional income, increase their employment opportunities and access knowledge and information. Various studies and research revealthat structural inequalities do remain in the society which inhibits gender parity. Hurdles to access, affordability, lack of education as well as inherent biases and socio-cultural norms curtail women’s ability to benefit from the opportunities offered by digital transformation. The gender stereotypes and the proverbial glass ceiling positions the women on wrong side of the digital diversity. Tapping the huge potential of digital technology and achieving truly transformative empowerment which challenges traditional gender roles, would require a coordinated effort across the stake holders in addressing the gendered nature of ICTs and gendered socio-cultural and economic environment.