- Description
- Who is the Solution For?
- Under-served Community where this solution can be Deployed
- Sustainability of the Solution
- Expected Outcome of the Solution
- Testimonial from Volunteer
Description
What is the Social Issue we are solving?
52% of young girls in India are forced to follow unhygenic menstrual practices.
23% of the girls drop out of schools when they start menstruating.
20% girls think menstruation is a serious illness
19 billion single use feminine hygiene products are thrown out each year, taking 500 years to decompose.
70% of mothers in India consider menstruation “Dirty”
71% of girls in India report having no knowledge of menstruation before their first period.
More than 90% Indian fathers are unaware of how to deal with their daughter’s puberty.
Who is the Solution For?
Menstrual Education to every girl and boy, and to the society around them and sustainable menstrual kit to every girl/ woman who is part of the awareness program.
If a girl child does not know about menstruation when she comes of age, if she believes in all the superstitions and myths associated with menstruation and if she does not have access to a safe, environment friendly menstruation, then she does not have complete access to health.
If the men and women around the girl child do not have enough awareness about menstruation, then we are not respecting the dignity of the girl child.
Under-served Community where this solution can be Deployed
Government Schools, Shelter homes, Slums, Rural areas
How is the Solution solving this social issue?
Creating menstrual awareness and giving each under-served girl a menstrual kit with 3 reusable, bio degradable cloth pads and menstrual cup ensure,
- Health: Women stop using unhealthy solutions like rags, coconut fibre, cow dung etc
- Environment sustainability: Cloth pads decompose within 6 months and do not add to huge landfills unlike single use pads.
- Economical sustainability: The girl/woman can reuse the pads for over a year without having to buy pads each month. The cups could last for even 5 years.
Sustainability of the Solution
The girl/woman can reuse the pads for over a year without having to buy pads each month. The cups could last for even 5 years.
Expected Outcome of the Solution
- Women coming out of myths and superstitions associated with menstruation.
- Women not losing out anymore on 3-5 days of their productivity each month.
- Girls not missing school for 3-5 days each month.
Testimonial from Volunteer
“I loved the experience of teaching young girls about sustainable menstrual products. I learnt a lot about sustainable menstruation in the process.” – says a volunteer who conducted menstrual awareness programs in a slum in Bangalore, Karnataka (India)
