Free sanitary napkins distributed to women prisoners

HLL Lifecare on Tuesday distributed free packs of its sanitary napkins to women prisoners of Attakulangara Sub Jail to mark International Women's Day.

The napkins were distributed free of cost to the inmates, an HLL release said. As part of the programme, Dr Shobha Mathew, Branch Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation Office in the capital city s Family Planning Association of India office, took an awareness class on menstrual hygiene for the women.

The programme is part of HLL's ongoing awareness camps held across India, particularly aimed at the 88% of India s 35.5 crore menstruating women who have little access to basic women's hygiene products.

HLL has an exclusive Women s Healthcare Division with a Sanitary Napkin manufacturing facility in Kanagala, Belgaum (Karnataka) that produces commercial brand Happy Days and Free Days, which is supplied through the Centre s national programme.

HLL's automated Vendigo sanitary napkin vending machines, which offers 24x7 access and privacy, has been installed at nearly 50 locations across the state, particularly in schools, colleges, hostels and corporate offices, through the Social Welfare Department, the Thiruvananthapuran Municipal Corporation, Kasargod Zilla Panchayat and many others. IG Prisons H Gopakumar, HLL Senior Vice President G Satheeshkumar and Vice President (Marketing) T Rajasekharan were also present at the function.