According to a survey conducted by the Women Health Organization, 36 per cent of women in the country feel uncomfortable buying sanitary essentials from shops
Sneha Mahajan, an architect in Delhi, despite coming from an educated family, was using cloth instead of sanitary napkins until a couple of years back. Her elder sister still prefers cloth over pads, which she can wash several times. According to a survey conducted by the Women Health Organization (WHO), 36 per cent of women in the country feel uncomfortable buying sanitary essentials from shops.
"I used cloth because it was easily available and I did not have to face the man sitting at the chemist shop and also, disposing pads was complicated as I did not want anyone to see them. The cloth I could wash several times and just hang somewhere and thus no-one would see my blood," says the 24-year-old.
The report created with a sample size of 500 in major cities across the country, of which 148 women are from the Capital, also reveals that 43 per cent of women did not have access to sanitary essentials at the beginning of their periods and 45 per cent still believe that menstruation is a taboo in the Indian society. While, according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16, only about 57.6 per cent of the Indian women use sanitary napkins and 62 per cent women in the age group 15-24 years still rely on a cloth during their periods.
Looking at the hesitation rate, Everteen, a Delhi-based group has started doorstep deliveries of 'Period boxes', customisable monthly sanitary essentials.
"The whole idea is to make the process easier and comfortable for women. The survey revealed that even educated women are hesitant sometimes to buy sanitary napkins from shops. After the subscription with us, the product will be delivered before their date every month, so there will be no last-minute rush," says Hariom Tyagi, Wet and Dry Personal Care (Everteen).
With the profits from the online subscriptions, the group is planning to adopt sanitary care for at least 50,000 girls for one year in the country.
The survey report and the announcement of 'Period Box' come at a time when people are taking a stand against the stigma associated with menstruation by taking up the #PadManChallenge and with the movie having released on Friday, the topic has become a household debate.
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