A whopping 88% of women in India don’t have access to proper menstruation care and resort to using unhygienic materials like husk, newspaper and rags during periods. What’s sadder is that 70% of Indian women suffer from reproductive tract infections and 23% of school going girls drop out of school once they start menstruating.
While recent films like Akshay Kumar’s “Pad Man” have been helpful in bringing menstruation-related issues to the fore, the reality is still stark. Most women remain uneducated about proper care during their periods and society remains shy to start conversations since menstruation is such a taboo in this country. Which is why organisations like Saral Designs are so necessary.
As a women’s health start-up, Saral produces high-quality sanitary napkins that can be compared to the best multinational products in the market and are available at half the price. Saral partners with local health workers or Sanginis who go door to door in each village to educate women and their families about menstruation and sell pads to them, ensuring that the Sanginis themselves are enabled and empowered.
I am happy that I have taken a step towards breaking the taboo by talking about periods to women and girls in my village. The training sessions have not only helped create awareness in the village but also opened my eyes to a lot of information I myself did not have. Also, by selling Active pads, I ensure that every woman in my village will have better hygiene during periods.
– Urmila Dalwi (Senior Sangini saleswoman, Karjat)
Since its inception in 2015, Saral has disseminated pads to over 30,000 women across rural Maharashtra and worked with several low- income schools in Mumbai. They have also developed a curriculum to create awareness about menstrual hygiene in schools.
Through our work, we at Saral aim to bring together the forces of the head and the heart, create last mile access and instill confidence and a sense of dignity in every woman and girl around the world.
Their campaign across India has helped girls and women open up and start talking about menstrual hygiene which has helped reduce absenteeism in schools too.
But they need your help to go further on this journey. They want to sponsor more girls sanitary needs which includes education sessions, hygiene kits, disposal management and myth busting. Join Saral Designs in helping create a better future for women all across India.