The Power of Authentic Leadership:
Authentic leadership has become a much-needed quality in our society. Kristin Engvig emphasizes the importance of leading from a place of genuine values, integrity, and purpose. Through WIN, she channels the ancient wisdom of the Nordic culture, infusing it with a contemporary perspective to inspire leaders to be their truest selves. By embracing authentic leadership, individuals can create a positive impact in their organizations and communities, fostering a culture of trust, innovation, and collaboration.

Nurturing a Feminine Approach:
In a predominantly male-dominated leadership landscape, Kristin believes that incorporating a more feminine approach is essential for achieving a balanced and sustainable world. Drawing from her experiences and observations, she highlights the unique strengths and qualities that women bring to the table, such as empathy, intuition, and collaboration. By embracing these feminine attributes, leaders can foster inclusivity, create nurturing work environments, and drive positive change.

Insights on Negotiating for Women:
One of the highlights of our conversation with Kristin was her invaluable insights on the art of negotiating, especially for women. She recognizes that women often face unique challenges in negotiation situations and provides strategies and techniques to overcome them. The most important aspect is for Women to Value their own selves and what they bring to the table to be able to negotiate better for themselves. From enhancing communication skills to building confidence and leveraging personal strengths, Kristin empowers women to navigate negotiations successfully, ensuring their voices are heard and their contributions recognized.

Nordic wisdom, with its deep historical roots and connection to nature, holds immense value for our modern world. Kristin Engvig’s WIN embodies this wisdom in alignment with our own wisdom of the land, infusing it into the fabric of contemporary leadership practices. By embracing ancient wisdom, we can tap into a rich heritage that emphasizes sustainability, harmony, and holistic well-being. Together, we can forge a path toward a more inclusive and sustainable future, where ancient wisdom intertwines with modern innovation.

To explore the full conversation with Kristin Engvig, click here. Discover the transformative power of authentic leadership, feminine perspectives, and the art of negotiation.

To attend the next WIN & WIN conference and be a part of this transformative journey, log in to winconference.net.

For those passionate about making a tangible impact and contributing to India’s development, explore sabera.co to submit your work and be a catalyst for change.

Let’s unite and embrace the power of ancient wisdom to create a more inclusive, sustainable future. Together, we can amplify the voices of women, and inspire change.

The post Authentic Leadership, Women, and Wisdom with Kristin Engvig appeared first on Woman Endangered.

Women turn brand ambassadors of sustainable menstrual products taking the multi-billion dollar industry of disposables head on.

Listen to various stakeholders from the social venture investors, nonprofit sector, social entrepreneurs, and medical fraternity join hands in the spirit of collaboration debunking misinformation and talking of facts and personal experiences on sustainable menstruation in particular and Periods at large! Busting misinformation in pursuit of Ms information 🙂

The Simply Suparnaa © Media Network recently hosted an insightful panel discussion on the topic of sustainable menstrual products and their impact on the billion-dollar industry dominated by disposable products. The panelists, who brought a wealth of experience and expertise, shared their insights and experiences on the subject.

Dr. Meenakshi Bharat, a gynecologist with 35 years of experience specializing in fertility work, has made it her mission to advocate for sustainable living. In addition to her medical practice, she actively promotes waste reduction, composting, and the use of reusable products. Dr. Bharat’s commitment to sustainability even extends to organizing waste-free weddings for her children. Her valuable insights on the health benefits of sustainable menstrual products added great value to the discussion.

Sashi Rajamani, a founding member of Social Venture Partners in Bengaluru, brought two decades of corporate experience to her work in promoting social impact ventures and foundations. As the managing trustee of the Konrai Foundation, Rajamani collaborates with over 20 NGOs, striving to create a platform for promoting performing arts while addressing social and environmental challenges, including sustainable menstruation.

Dr Shanthi Thummala, initially trained as a dentist, took a bold step by leaving her job to lead the Swachh Siddipet campaign in collaboration with the Telangana government. Her expertise in waste management proved invaluable in streamlining waste segregation, collection, transportation, and disposal. Driven by her passion for environmental conservation, Dr. Thummala also spearheaded the sustainable menstruation campaign, aiming to address the environmental damage caused by sanitary waste in Siddipet.

Malini Parmar, with a strong background in the global IT industry and an education from prestigious institutions such as IIM-Kolkata and Delhi College of Engineering, decided to leverage her experience for social change. Co-founding Stonesoup, a social enterprise dedicated to sustainable living, Parmar offers a range of products that contribute to a greener future. As a single parent and advocate for sustainable menstruation, Parmar shared her personal experiences and insights during the panel discussion.

The panelists brought diverse perspectives and experiences to the table, creating a dynamic discussion that touched upon the health benefits of sustainable menstrual products, the environmental impact of disposable alternatives, and the empowerment of women as brand ambassadors for sustainable options. By challenging the status quo, these panelists are leading the way toward a future where women’s health and the well-being of the planet are prioritized.

You will also love reading about my experience with gifting cloth pads to girls with hearing impairment in Noida.

Psst : If you’re doing GOOD the SABERA jury is looking for your work to acknowledge you.

The post 17 K Crore industry of disposables- Do sustainable menstrual products stand a chance? appeared first on Woman Endangered.

As an added bonus WE are offering a GIVE AWAY on a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup to 2 individuals who share their views on periods on Simply Suparnaa’s Instagram. The GIVE AWAY is in collaboration with Stonesoup.in Why are WE doing this? Keep reading

Challenging Misinformation

Despite advancements in urban settings, misinformation about feminine hygiene products still prevails. Commercial pads and tampons, often laden with plastics and chemicals, pose risks to both our bodies and the planet. It’s time to dispel these myths and explore better alternatives.

The Wisdom of Tradition

In India, where cotton is abundant, we have a rich heritage of using cotton sarees to manage menstruation. This age-old practice not only ensures comfort but also aligns with sustainability. Cotton sarees can be easily disposed of and naturally decompose over time, minimizing environmental impact.

Prioritizing Women’s Health

Just as we choose organic, chemical-free foods for our well-being, it’s crucial to extend the same principle to feminine hygiene. Commercial sanitary pads and tampons can introduce harmful substances into our bodies. Tampons, in particular, have been associated with Toxic Shock Syndrome. By opting for natural and organic options, we can safeguard our health.

Breaking the Stigma

Periods have long been shrouded in silence and shame. It’s time to change that. Let’s foster open conversations about menstrual health, eradicating taboos, and empowering women to embrace their bodies fully. By talking openly about periods, we can create a supportive environment that encourages education and understanding.

Social Media Giveaway

To further promote open discussions on periods, we are excited to announce a social media giveaway! Share your views and experiences on periods using the hashtag #LetsTalkPeriod, and you could win a medical-grade silicone cup—a sustainable and comfortable alternative for menstrual care. Join the movement and help us spread awareness.

Instastories

maanasadevi12
It’s part of every woman’s life. Proper care and personal hygiene are very important during those days. Young girls they should have awareness about their first period ie what are periods what we do during periods why we get periods and how to face them. Mainly teenage girls must know and have awareness because when they see the first period they get shocked and fearful because it’s blood and the girl feels very weak. How to take proper care during periods also needs to be known some classes should be taken. girls and women should know some home remedies, period care essentials like menstrual cups, and how to handle cramps. And family mother, father, sis or bro, boyfriend or husband should be supportive not treating them like untouchables. Boys mothers should also teach boys what are periods and what females grow through during that time so that boys can understand that pain and support them rather than seeing it as something unknown.

riospamzzzz

Back in school, a guy in my class pulled out a sanitary napkin from a friend’s bag. He stood on the desk holding it high up for everyone to see. He went on shouting “XXX is on her period!! xxx is on her period” and threw it on someone.
Everyone went from yewww to yuckk, running away as if it was an asteroid.
When we girls felt deeply hurt and embarrassed, the girl who was on her period spoke loud and clear.
Yes, I am on my period. So was your mother and so is your sister. If not for it, you wouldn’t be here. If you have a problem with it, then you probably are mentally sick. Get yourself checked.
The class learned a lesson. It’s not the period that’s disgusting, but the person who feels that way.

Keep sharing your views and stand a chance to win the medical-grade silicone cups from Stonesoup. Winners will be announced on 23rd May 2023.

WE are passionate about debunking misinformation, promoting sustainable menstrual practices, and empowering women to make informed choices. By embracing traditional wisdom, advocating for chemical-free options, and encouraging open conversations, we can create a healthier and more sustainable future. Let’s break the silence, #LetsTalkPeriod!

The post Let’s Talk Period: Empowering Women through Sustainable Menstrual Practices appeared first on Woman Endangered.

The report weaves its studies through not just empirical data but real stories of 100 women who have filed cases for maintenance. The study goes on to highlight the issues and challenges faced including legal, financial, societal, family and health. Long legal battles for maintenance of women who have already been out of the workforce due to marriage and household responsibilities tend to lose out further on earning opportunities stated the study. The economic relief under the existing laws that are meant from saving the woman from vagrancy and starvation may not necessarily mean restoring a dignified life, it further claimed.

Read Also: A domestic violence victims appeal

From gaps and ambiguity in the law to lack of awareness of free legal aid services, the exhaustive study also reviews existing legal provisions for maintenance and showcases best practices followed in other countries.

The report can be accessed as under.

You can reach Vasavya Mahila Mandali can be reached as follows

vasavyamm@vasavya.org +91-8662470966

The post Women in Marital Discord – A study appeared first on Woman Endangered.

Suparnaa has been conducting these sessions pro bono since 2014 and is regularly invited by schools, institutes as well as corporates to conduct the session. The Simply Suparnaa © Media Network has been awarded by the UN Women as an SME champion. Woman Endangered is a non-profit trust under the network that promotes Responsible content besides conducting menstrual hygiene as well as awareness sessions on violence against women. The other initiative under the network is SABERA. A one-of-its-kind annual social impact award, and summit highlight ESG best practices & sustainable development initiatives by corporates, nonprofits, and individuals

Voice of Pratigya a local newspaper wrote about the session and shared ‘ महावरी के प्रति जाग रुकता लाने के लिए ऑनलाइन काउंसलिंग की गई’ (Online counselling was done to bring awareness towards Periods).’ ‘बालिकाओं को ग्रामीण क्षेत्र मैं इस दिशा में गलत धारणाओं को छोडने अवं वैज्ञानिक चिंतन पेयदा करने की दिशा मैं अग्रसर किया’ (In the rural area, the girls were encouraged to move beyond misconceptions and start thinking scientifically in this direction).

Let us know if you know of a school/college/community in the remote parts of the country – we would be happy to conduct a session! write to womanendangered@gmail.com or suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com

To support our initiative contribute here.

The post Talking Periods in Chulu, Rajasthan appeared first on Woman Endangered.

To stand up for what is Right especially to raise awareness of and combat violence against women is a topic close to my heart. So when JOSH TALKS approached me to conduct a workshop with the youth of the country, I was more than happy to do so. So far 2 sessions have already been successfully conducted with the ITI institutes in Kanpur and Calcutta. These sessions are a part of the CSR initiatives of one of their (JOSH TALKS) clients. The hour-long session is encouraged to be interactive and I also share tips from IPS officer Chhaya Sharma on what to do in case of an unfortunate incident of sexual violence.

This hour-long session further covers aspects of, What constitutes violence against women?; Violence a woman may face throughout her life; Why do we need to talk about this?; and What can we, do?

In case you would like to conduct a session in your institute, office school or college do write to me at suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com or womanendangered@gmail.com. We charge a nominal fee which further facilitates us to buy sustainable menstrual hygiene products for the marginalised.

To support our initiative contribute here.

The post Violence against Women appeared first on Woman Endangered.

When I first started taking menstrual hygiene sessions in urban slums the most common query was how to deal with pain and irregularities through periods.
I reached out to my dear friend Pragati Sharma, who not only is a yoga exponant but also a naturopath. She was kind enough to record some yoga asana along with some natural home remedies to help cope with any irregularities through periods. I have used some of these and can personally vouch for them. Please feel free to share in your own communities and continue the conversations about the natural process of a woman’s body.  One that gives her the unique ability to create life. #LetsTalkPeriod

To support our initiative contribute here.

The post पीरियड दर्द/अन्मितताओं के लिए आसन घरेलू उपचार- Yog Asan & Home remedies for Period irregularities appeared first on Woman Endangered.

“A girl shouldn’t sit like that” my 3^rd grade teacher once told me, before proceeding on to demonstrate how a straight back with crossed legs was the ‘lady-like’ way to sit.

I never noticed any teacher telling a boy how to sit or to not be loud, whereas girls were policed about how they should talk, be non-disruptive and behave like ‘ladies’ in general.

As I grew up and feminism rescued me from a very dangerous thought process, I realised the fact that everything a girl does is seen as explicit by the society (a society that we contribute to, by the way).

We have been systematically taught that it is shameful to be a girl. Everything should happen behind closed doors and yet is secretly lusted after anyway in public. Naturally it escalates into full-blown misogyny towards even the most natural of things, like menstruation.

God forbid a tampon falls out of our bag in a metro or we carry Pads without the black polythene the shopkeeper so kindly offers. All this is necessary, believe me, or otherwise the world might just find out that half of its population bleeds every 28 days.

The shame and stigma that we associate with Periods (yes I said the word) is blatantly obvious in the euphemisms we use, ‘chumming’, ‘on the rag’, ‘I’m down’.. a few of at least 5,000 such slang words that we chose to use instead of just calling them periods.

And let’s not even touch upon the subject of period taboos, a whole thesis on how a woman is impure and what she should or should not do during her cycle. And all of this dictated by a handful of people, who sit hiding behind the veil of privilege and ‘good sense’.

Just when we think there is no end to this regressive mindset, we have non-profits and activists actively propagating women’s safety, rights and sanitation (while also restoring our faith into humanity).

There have been age-old movements and rebellions that have successfully enabled the world to move on from the times when women weren’t even allowed to vote or have a voice.

One such modern-day initiative, “#Letstalkperiod – Gift a Menstrual Cup”, is challenging the very ground of ignorance for menstrual health.

Created by Woman Endangered and Stone Soup, it challenges period taboos and superstitions while addressing the issue of human health crisis that stems from repeated use of commercial pads or tampons over decades. It does this by distributing menstrual cups free-of-cost.

Why Menstrual Cups?

Studies have found that a woman uses a pad or a tampon for more than 100,000 hours in a lifetime. And that’s just the minimum estimate!

Yet we don’t talk about the chemical residue these products leave on the vaginal walls which can cause serious diseases such as cancer.

India accounts for 27 percent of deaths caused by cervical cancer, which is twice the global average. And the study links the cause partly to poor menstrual hygiene.

Amidst all of this, menstrual cups provide a safer, eco-friendly and economical option for women all over. It simply holds the period fluid, which can be emptied, and cup can be reused again.

The medical grade silicone used to make these cups, is infection-free and does not irritate the vaginal walls or pose any health risk by leaving residue.

After a one-time cost, it can be washed and reused for up to 10 years. Since, a single cup lasts that long, it greatly reduces the amount of menstrual waste generated to be disposed-off.

Benefits Of Using A Menstrual Cup

• Made from medical grade silicone which reduces risk of infection since it is also anti-bacterial – a quality otherwise not seen in other materials.
• It is bell-shaped and does not irritate the vaginal walls, as it is adjustable and easy to insert/remove.
• Simply holds period fluid and can be washed to be reused 2 to 3 times a day and is easy to store.
• Lasts from 8 to 10 years and reduces the hassle of disposing of used menstrual materials
• Reduces the burden on environment by reducing waste generation.

Menstruation health issues are probably the most stigmatized and ignored topic, even in the 21^st Century. And this is exactly what the #LetsTalkPeriod campaign aims to destroy.

The agenda is simple:

• Provide a sustainable menstrual alternative to pads and tampons which is a silicone menstrual cup
• Distribute these medical grade silicone cups free-of-cost to the most marginalized sections of women
• Address the ignorance and stigma around periods which has forced women to suffer in silence for years.

Joining hands with the crowdfunding platform DesiredWings.com, WE and Stone Soup have launched a crowdfunding campaign that aims to raise enough funds to organize a free-of-cost distribution of menstrual cups in Azadpur in New Delhi.

Aiming to distribute 1000 cups to 1000 women or even more, they want to target this health, environment and mental crisis at the grass root level.

In a time where period blood is still depicted as a ‘blue liquid’ gently splashed upon fluffy pads and any close-to-reality depiction is deemed inappropriate (not a family dinner conversation apparently), we need to stand up for menstrual health.

It’s time each of us contribute to the Gift A Menstrual Cup – Let’s Talk Period campaign, and destroy a few stereotypes ourselves!

About the Author:

A feminist at heart, Tarushi Varma believes change starts with just one person. So, raise your voice, stand up for yourself because you have it in you to make the world a better place.

The post Challenging Mindsets appeared first on Woman Endangered.

WE or womanendangered as an initiative aims to target debilitating mindsets that affect all of us in different degrees, specifically in promoting a gender equitable society. While all kinds of approach created to help gender equity are indeed welcome, WE have chosen a proactive approach to target Gender inequity at its root cause, that of mindset. And WE are under no illusion that a dent in the mindset will happen overnight. We’ve taken many generations to get here; we will take at least a few generations to start affecting change, but only if WE start talking now. Hence #LetsTalkPeriod

The tangible outcomes of such an approach are often met with raised brows, given measuring a mindset and its evolution is a long drawn process.

But where there is a will there is a way. And when the intention is beyond motives of profit or popularity, the universe offers tangible solutions. In my own personal capacity as the curator of events for the media, marketing and advertising domain, my focus is always to have a fair representation of women on all panels, speaking & juror slots. The situation is far from being equal participation of all genders and the task is tough, only cos of the already skewed statistics towards Men in senior management positions. Further, the focus is to maintain communication, creative’s and gifts to be beyond gender stereotypes (You’d be surprised).

With #LetsTalkPeriod Womanendangered.org has partnered with an eclectic group of women at Stonesoup.in who strongly believe in a sustainable living. And one of their initiatives is to promote a sustainable menstrual solution through medical grade silicone cups.

The idea with the Period campaign is to generate enough funds through our pilot project to distribute 1000 such cups to a marginalized women living in the slums settled on both sides of the railway track in Azadpur. Why here? It’s a beginning and based on the campaign’s success WE hope to replicate it across the country. In doing so WE are providing a solution which

·      Takes care of a marginalized woman’s menstrual solution need for upto 8-10 years

·      Reduces health hazards in comparison to conventional pads or tampons that are loaded with plastics and chemicals which makes a woman susceptible through prolonged exposure

·      Reduces the burden of waste on the planet

·      Gives a platform to talk of a tabooed subject on the digital platform

WE hope to crowd source funds to distribute these cups and raise awareness in the process about periods and of feminine hygiene products, an issue that almost never gets discussed. WE continue the proactive approach addressing a debilitating mindset and providing a tangible outcome. So won’t you join us in spreading the word? Its time we talk. #LetsTalkPeriod

Note:

Womanendangered is neither an NGO nor a trust , its an initiative fuelled by the passion of like-minded people who want to contribute their bit in passing on a society which is inclusive and free of gender inequity.

For a contribution of Re. 200 or more log onto desiredwings.com/period

The post #LetsTalkPeriod appeared first on Woman Endangered.