As the country went under lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19, access to several essential items became difficult for the poor sections of the society. Several organizations as well as the government took measures to aid the people by providing them with basic groceries and other essentials. However, many a time, menstrual hygiene products were overlooked.
Menstrual hygiene products are still not viewed as an essential item in many families. It is in fact considered to be a luxury for many. This period poverty in India is the cause of an estimated 70 per cent of all the reproductive diseases in the country. In addition to this, the stigma associated with periods causes shame among the young girls who do not have access to sanitary products leading them to miss school six days each month or dropping out of school completely.
The problems associated with period poverty were enhanced during the COVID lockdown because movement prohibition induced scarcity of products in several areas. Besides, as incomes stopped for many families, purchasing menstrual hygiene products was not a priority for many women. In face of this crisis, Nua, a new-age wellness brand launched a CSR initiative ‘Project Prerna’ with an aim to help the women from underprivileged communities who were facing difficulties in sourcing sanitary napkins regularly.
Project Prerna
Under Project Prerna, Nua collaborated with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, YWater India and the Navi Mumbai hub of the Global Shapers Community to work towards supplying pads to women in urgent needs residing in low-income neighbourhoods and Covid-19 hotspots. With the support of these organizations, the project was able to impact women migrant workers and low-income communities in Malegaon, homeless women and disabled women in Kamathipura, Grant Road, Ghatkopar, Saki Naka, and Chembur. The Nua pads were also distributed to major COVID care centres in Navi Mumbai, slum communities in Colaba and adolescent girls in Dharavi.
In order to make a long-lasting impression in addressing the period poverty in the country, a pamphlet in Marathi and Hindi was also distributed as part of the project, with each packet detailing usage instructions, hygiene and safe disposal practices to raise menstrual awareness.
The project has been successful in raising about 22 lakh rupees from over 700 donors across the globe which has enabled it to provide 300,000 pads to 30,000 women in Mumbai and Malegaon.
Abhishek Ramanathan, Chief Operating Officer, Nua said, “Period poverty has always been a major issue in India where a lot of underprivileged women do not have access to menstrual hygiene products. With COVID-19, it definitely got worse. As a team, we decided that we need to do our bit and help these women. Our aim was simple – raise money and supply pads to 30,000 women in urgent need who reside in the low-income neighbourhoods of Mumbai.”
“We hope that Project Prerna has paved the way for many such activities, not just for us but also for other organizations, to improve access to menstrual hygiene products in underprivileged communities,” he added.
