Page 37 - MHM Report-2023
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Sustainable Sanitary Pads:
The DIY route
eriods-related products and the safe disposal
of sanitary waste are emphasised in the
PMHM initiative. Under the Trusts’ efforts
to ensure access to good-quality and eco-friendly
menstrual absorbents, sanitary pad production
units have been established in Uttar Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Additionally, the team
teaches women and adolescent girls to stitch their
own cloth pads.
Another part of the MHM module emphasises
the different types of products available in
the market and explains the pros and cons of “My thighs used to chafe due to the sanitary
each. This empowers the women to make more pads since I was working on the farm all day,”
informed decisions. says Khushboo, a project beneficiary. “Ever since
An informed product-choice needs to be I learnt about the reusable cloth pad through
supplemented with easy access, availability and MHM’s awareness sessions, it has been a boon.
affordability of the said products. Bearing this in Especially since these pads are beneficial to my
mind, the Trusts have rolled out various measures, health, environment-friendly and economical.”
such as workshops that train women to stitch their 17-year-old Arju, from Kaisarganj, Bahraich,
own cloth pads, SHG-driven local supply chain of Uttar Pradesh, shares “I used to use pads
pads, and local production units. bought from the market. But then, a Tata Trusts
Rami Bai from Pindwara block of Sirohi representative showed us a video - Stitch our
district in Rajasthan stitches her own cloth pads. own cloth pads. We learnt it and now we make
She learned this skill at one of the pad-stitching our own pads, which last for eight months”. Arju
workshops organised under the MHM programme is happy as this helps them save money. She has
by the Centre for microFinance (CmF, an associate recommended the same process to her mother,
organisation of Tata Trusts), as part of its multi- sisters and other women in the neighbourhood.
thematic development programme in South The initiative has been supplemented with
Rajasthan — the ‘Transformation Initiative’ (a the setup of local cloth production units, making
collaboration between the Rajasthan government it easier for women to access and afford cloth
and Trusts). pads. Ten of these units are already operational in
Today, she motivates others to do the same the states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan,
and practices hygienic menstruation management. Jharkhand and Assam.
The ‘stitch your own cloth pads’ workshops Further, the Tata Trusts also engage with
empower and encourage women to adopt safe and local SHGs to put in place a supply chain to ensure
hygienic menstrual health products, without facing access to good quality and eco-friendly menstrual
access or affordability issues. absorbents for communities.
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