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.

The session was organized on 6th March 2019 with the support of Bal Aarogya in a community center, offering a safe, ventilated, and well-lit hall for the interaction amidst women. The session used the medium of placards with bright contextual images supported with font in Hindi describing the essence of periods. 30 medical-grade silicone cups were also distributed to take care of her feminine hygiene need for the next few years sustainably. A model of the reproductive system is also used through these sessions to introduce physiology as well as explain the usage of the menstrual cup. The last leg of the session was dedicated to watching a specially created video on yog asanas and simple home remedies to address common ailments experienced through the period.

The session is designed to cater to the specific target audience. The 120-minute module is divided into 3 parts such that it covers most aspects of feminine hygiene. Over the years, however, the feedback from the beneficiaries has become the most important part of the workshop. Almost 60 minutes are now dedicated to exchanging notes and addressing questions so that was also the case in Trilokpuri.

If you are working with communities that can benefit from these sessions do connect us and we would be happy to conduct a session albeit virtually now given the pandemic. You can write to us at womanendangered@gmail or suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com and lets get talking about PERIODS !

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The post-COVID 19 world has been one of retaining and redesigning the world as we knew it. Digital and virtual have become the keywords with work from home taking precedence like never before. So has also been with the case for the #LetsTalkPeriod menstrual hygiene workshop that took its first step towards going virtual.

It also was an opportunity to upgrade our skills and I personally utilized the opportunity to take a Harvard X course of 8 weeks Titled ‘Hinduism through its scriptures’. While the subject was of interest to me given my enthusiasm for the ancient wisdom of the subcontinent, it also exposed me to the techniques of pedagogy from the best in the world of education!

While designing the digital session on #LetsTalkPeriod I drew from the style of teaching online that Harvard engages in as well as dug deeper into the ancient wisdom and menstruation. The result was a digital session with 3 main parts. Namely

Menstruation & Ancient Wisdom: Drawing from references from the past

Myths vs Fact: Delineating physiological Facts, cycle, and addressing negative associations or mindsets.

Sustainable Solutions: Creating awareness about the solutions commonly available and sustainability

The session addressing SDG 3, 10 & 11 was conducted for 30 teachers of SSMI a Government and MCD aided school. It was highly interactive given the originally planned session for 2 hours overshot and we spent over 4 hours through the session. I had also given an assignment of creating an artwork that weaves the 7 notes of music with the essentials on menstruation for easier understanding and absorption of the concepts shared. The winner got a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup as a prize for the same.

Here are some of the reviews from the session attendees.

It should be held regularly ‘It’s important to make both genders aware of the science behind menstruation. It is equally important for boys, to help remove all taboos or preconceived notions about periods. They should understand that its a part of a woman’s life and absolutely normal. ‘

Very informative ‘There is a lot of misconception about the menstrual cycle, but after this session, all are removed. Before this, I had too many ifs and buts but now, I am very much clear. Such an informative and Wonderful session it was.’

Platform to speak openly ‘It’s an awesome session. Thank you ma’am for giving a platform where we can speak about menstrual issues openly and unhesitantly. Your effort will change many more generations. As a teacher, we must talk about this issue and change the mindsets of people.’

Everybody bleeds so #LetsTalkPeriod

The post #LetsTalkPeriod Virtually appeared first on Woman Endangered.

Rucha from Pune has been a constant support throughout the journey since I started the search for volunteers. She is a mother of two, a 3 & 10-year-old, her last stint was in IBM before her kids were born. While her focus was to help with the backend operations, she eagerly reached out to her own contacts to supplement my efforts of raising sponsorship. Happy with her proactive approach, I offered for her to keep a small percentage of the monies raised in case her efforts converted. She refused, stating that she wants SABERA to thrive because she identifies with its intent. More so, it has given her an opportunity to get back to mainstream work. Rucha wants to continue to be a part of the event in the coming years as well. Then there was Ashwini from Mumbai, a mother of a toddler, who had been struggling to get a job after her maternity break, a techie by profession she helped with checking entries online, maintaining the database & support Rucha. We also had Meenakshi, a young mother of 2 children, helping us for a bit, until she herself was diagnosed with breast cancer that had already metastasized. Irrespective, she kept cheering us through as we did her through her treatment. Then there was Khyati, a beneficiary EWS of the Old Modern school association, who now studies in DU, while Khyati had been very enthusiastic, her class schedule in DU permitted her only a few hours a week to help out, also her final exam was on the day of the event so she could manage to contribute only through the jury meet.

The jury meet itself was when the Delhi smog was at its worse, right in the midst of flights being stalled and the weather playing truant. But the day of the meet, November 5th, the sun was up – bright and cheerful. I remain grateful to all the jury members who attended the meet in full strength from across the country at the Grant Thornton office.

Then, of course, there were our young hosts, Chandini Khan and Jayashree Patil. Chandini has risen from the slums and has limited reading & writing skills, while Jayashree traveled just the day before to prepare, filling in for Kranti beneficiary, Sandhya (the original host – scholarship holder in Ashoka University, who had to bail out because of the loss in classes due to the smog in DELHI). Jayashree, also a beneficiary of Kranti, working to rehabilitate daughters of sex workers, traveled from Punjab were she volunteers with an NGO. She missed the overnight bus since her cab broke down on the way to the bus stop. She then took an early morning train to reach Delhi just an afternoon before the event. Phew! We rehearsed, prayed and were up in arms smiling on stage the next day December 4th.

Looks like we made it- After all 🙂

The post Work from home Moms pull #SABERA19 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

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