In the past decade, menstrual hygiene management became a developmental buzz in India, with commercial disposable sanitary napkins being offered as the only hygienic solution. Yes, the move emancipated many women who benefited from government-sponsored subsidized pads, but at what costs? Nidhi Jamwal’s article and the documentary movie Masika point out the hidden costs of commercial disposable sanitary napkins and look at other viable alternatives.
With this in mind, we decided that time has come to extend the conversation from breaking the silence on menstruation to speaking up about the growing mountains of menstrual hygiene waste generated every month and taking responsibility for proper disposal.
Why #periodofchange ?
A woman’s period is not just her monthly responsibility. It is about you, me, and everyone else! It is also about the nexus of media, society and all of us making dec isions without her consensus. It is about ill-informed choices that affects not only her health but our soil, water and air.
#PeriodofChange calls for concerted action on integrated menstrual hygiene management so that women can choose safe, hygienic and sustainable products. It discusses and documents best practices in collection and disposal of menstrual hygiene waste. #PeriodofChange brings together women and men, all experts in different fields, to bring about systemic changes in the sector of menstrual hygiene management.
We will explore five themes over the course of 5 weeks:
- Sustainability and Menstruation: From the body of the earth to the body of the woman
- The development of the MHM sector in India: Disposable sanitary napkins: a blessing or a curse?
- Dealing with menstrual hygiene waste: Collection and disposal issues
- Reusable menstrual hygiene products: pros and cons
- Educating ourselves on best practices regarding use and disposal of menstrual hygiene products
From Earth Day (April 22nd) to Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28th)—Join us to:
- Learn about, use, and/or promote menstrual hygiene products that are safe for the human body and the body of the earth.
- Take responsibility for the waste you generate.
How to participate?
- Sign up for our online panel discussions (webinars) with experts selected from the fields of sustainability, menstrual hygiene awareness and education, women’s health, waste management, water, sanitation, and environmental law.
- Send blogs (upto 500 words) or images with slogans that answer “why the time has come for India to make the transition towards a #periodofchange.” Exciting prizes for the winners from our sponsors in store! Email entries to period.change@gmail.com
- Join our online conversations by following the hashtag #periodofchange
Want to make a difference?
Donations to the campaign that are tax-exempt and gratefully accepted. They will be accounted for by earth&us and audited by Auroville Foundation.
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