DNA EXCLUSIVE: Now 'Padman' Akshay Kumar's bicycle too pedals its way to help women, here's how

A lot of praise has come actor Akshay Kumar's way for playing social activist Arunachalam Muruganantham, a real-life inventor of a low-cost way of making sanitary pads for women and girls in his village, in Padman. Kumar is not only taking on a subject many of his peers would call taboo, but now taking his women-friendly mission from reel to real life too. DNA has exclusively learnt that the bicycle, Khiladi Kumar used in the movie is being auctioned and proceeds from the same will be given to Population First, an NGO working on population and health issues within the framework of women's rights and social development. This includes their work in the area of menstrual hygiene and reproductive health in over 101 villages in rural India.

While Kumar is expected to tweet this announcement soon, sources close to him say that both he and his wife Twinkle (one of the Padman's producers) spent a lot of time deliberating on the NGO who the proceeds of the auction should go to. “Population First's Laadli initiative – a girl child campaign against sex selection and falling sex ratio and the work they do in menstrual hygiene– was seen as the best way to fund an intervention which makes a meaningful difference to girls' and women's lives,” a source close to the actor confirmed to DNA adding, “This is deliberately being kept low-key as it is felt that Population First's work done in this area should get highlighted
more than the film. This is the reason why this wasn't directly linked to the promotional activity for Padman.”

In the past, Kumar has spoken of Padman using entertainment to normalise a “taboo subject” in a way other mediums can't he has said: “Globally, millions of low-income women and girls don't have access to sanitary pads/tampons. This means school is either out of bounds or they drop out at menarche, stunting economic opportunities down the line and reinforcing taboos around menstruation.”

An overjoyed Population First Director A L Sharada expressed her gratitude to the star and his team for think of their work. “Women are denied entry to religious places, often treated as untouchables during their periods and told that their impure touch can spoil pickles or milk,” pointed out Sharada who said: “We should all praise Akshay for using his star power to highlight an otherwise taboo subject and help de-stigmatise menstruation. Considering the power of cinema and its outreach, it will be a great way to send a message to masses to change their attitude.”

She lamented how the dogma and patriarchy have come together in a dangerous cocktail to shame women about what is merely a bodily function. “The resultant shame attached to the monthly period means that girls and women find it shameful to openly buy sanitary pads. No wonder shockingly over 70% of women in India still use old rags to soak the flow making them vulnerable to infection and disease as these are often washed and dried in dank places away from anyone's eyes before reuse.” According to her, “The challenge, of addressing the socio-cultural taboos and beliefs in menstruation, is further compounded by poor knowledge levels and understandings of puberty, menstruation, and reproductive health among young girls.”

She also highlighted how taboos about menstruation have a deep impact on girls’ and women's emotional state, mentality and lifestyle and health. “Gender-unfriendly schools and infrastructure and the lack of adequate menstrual protection alternatives and/or clean, safe and private sanitation facilities for female teachers and girls undermine the right to privacy,” she said.

Readers may recall a 2016 Nielsen survey, which found that 93% of girls in Bihar and Jharkhand, (predominantly rural states) – on an average missed a day or two at school every month during menstruation.