Issue
MENSTRUAL POVERTY
Having access to menstrual hygiene products is a necessity all women should possess. Unfortunately, not everyone has this privilege making menstrual poverty a big issue all around the world. In India itself, only 30% of women can afford menstrual hygiene products. Among the remaining 70%, 88% of those women are using shocking alternatives that are incredibly unsanitary and unsafe. So how do we change this?
Who inspired me?
Mr. Muruganantham
In the summer of 2021, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Muruganantham, a social entrepreneur known as ‘Pad-Man’ in India, dedicated to the cause of menstrual equity. I visited his center and quickly noticed the severity of menstrual poverty in India. Knowing that girls my age were shockingly using items such as rags and leaves, I knew I had to pursue the goal of bringing dignity to disadvantaged girls. I learned that any solution to this issue needs to think about social considerations, not just cost and quality. He inspired me to pursue the idea of using technology and engineering to drive Menstrual Equity and end period poverty. A year later, Garima was created.