Breaking Taboos About Menstrual Hygiene

As part of our Menstrual Health and Hygiene program in India, Karuna-Shechen is  launching a new pilot project that will improve the lives of thousands of women.

We have selected 15 destitute women to come to our vocational training centre in Dumohan, Gaya, to produce locally-made sanitary pads that are both affordable and hygienic.

Today, it is estimated that 70% of all reproductive diseases in India are caused by poor menstrual hygiene. Lack of access to affordable and hygienic sanitary material and disposal options leave many women to manage their periods in ineffective, uncomfortable, and unhygienic ways.

Karuna-Shechen has been subsidizing the cost of sanitary pads for the rural poor and school girls since 2013. By hiring local women to produce our own pads made with our own machine, we will soon be able to offer women an inexpensive product.

This work will also provide a source of additional income (2,000-3,000 rupees each month) for our employees who come from deprived economic villages in Bihar.

We are teaching girls and their parents about the importance of good menstrual practices in our partner villages and local schools.

Limited access to information, as well as cultural taboos and social stigmas attached to menstruation have a negative impact on the lives and health of millions of girls and women.

Many girls and women miss school and work every month because they do not have access to sanitary pads.

A majority of under-privileged women have very little knowledge about what is happening to their bodies. A Unicef study revealed that 10% of girls in India believe that menstruation is a disease.

By breaking taboos and offering low-cost pads to Indian women, our program aims to improve the health and lives of thousands of poor Indian women and girls. Join us in our efforts!