Women police personnel posted across Delhi's stations are struggling to get even a basic facility like a working sanitary pad vending machine, and the Delhi High Court has now stepped in, issuing notice to Delhi Police over the matter. The court acted on a petition alleging a persistent shortage of health and hygiene facilities for women officers on duty, treating the issue as serious enough to warrant a hearing.
Six-week deadline for a citywide survey
Taking up the matter, the Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to conduct a survey covering every police station in the capital. The survey must establish exactly how many sanitary pad vending machines are installed at each station and, crucially, how many of them are actually functional. The court has given the Commissioner six weeks to complete this exercise so that a real, station-by-station picture emerges of where the facility is missing altogether.
Status report ordered, next hearing on September 23
The bench did not stop at ordering a survey. It has also directed the police administration to file a detailed status report spelling out the concrete steps that will be taken to provide these facilities at police stations. The matter will next come up for hearing on 23 September 2026, by which time the police administration's report is expected to be before the court.
Petition invokes Article 21 of the Constitution
The petition was filed by an organisation called the Justice For Rights Association. It argued that providing such basic facilities to women police personnel at their stations is not a favour but a right guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The petitioners said the issue goes beyond hygiene alone, touching directly on dignity, health, privacy and the right to humane conditions at the workplace.
No separate toilets either, Centre and Delhi government also asked to respond
The petition further stated that women personnel posted across Delhi's police stations and units face an acute shortage of both menstrual hygiene facilities and separate toilets. Given the seriousness of the issue, the Delhi High Court issued notice not only to Delhi Police but also to the Union Home Ministry and the Delhi government, seeking their response.
The petition alleged that women police officers are made to perform continuous duty in tough conditions but are denied even basic facilities during their periods, calling this a direct violation of their right to health, dignity, privacy and a safe workplace. According to the petition, hundreds of police stations across Delhi have thousands of women officers on their rolls, yet sanitary pad vending machines are available at only a handful of locations, leaving a large number of women personnel without access.
