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Tag: Menstruation

  • Niine pushes the envelope on sanitary pads, menstrual hygiene in Maha Kumbh Mela

    Niine pushes the envelope on sanitary pads, menstrual hygiene in Maha Kumbh Mela

    MUMBAI: There was a time when menstruation and religious ceremonies did not go together. When if a woman was having her periods she could not enter a temple. As she was “unclean.” No more. With the  wider availability of absorbent napkins and tampons, women need not be consider themselves unclean and could visit the temple even when they are menstruating.  

    Many contemporary Hindus argue that menstruation is a natural biological process and should not bar women from worship. Some temples, including progressive shrines, have openly welcomed menstruating women to challenge the stigma. This practice, though still followed in many places, is increasingly being questioned as education and awareness about menstrual health grow.

    Taking a step further in this direction,  Niine Sanitary Pads which has brought menstrual hygiene to the forefront at India’s largest religious gathering, the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

    Collaborating with Vatsalya Seva Samiti and local authorities, the brand has distributed thousands of sanitary pads to women attendees, with numbers expected to rise by the event’s conclusion.

    This initiative aims to ensure menstruation is not a barrier to participation in the spiritual event. Niine, known for driving conversations on menstrual health through campaigns like ‘Let’s Talk Period,’ has been widely praised for its effort. Videos of volunteers distributing sanitary pads have gone viral on social media, sparking conversations about menstrual awareness and accessibility.

    “We believe menstrual hygiene is essential to women’s health and dignity,” said Niine co-founder Gaurav Bathwal. “By being present at the Maha Kumbh Mela, we aim to foster an environment where women feel empowered and supported.”

    Niine CEO Ameya Dangi  added: “Access to sanitary pads is crucial, especially at large public gatherings. We have always believed in using such platforms to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene.”

    The initiative has received overwhelming appreciation from women attendees, many expressing gratitude for the essential support. It is particularly significant for rural and semi-urban communities, where access to sanitary products remains limited.

    Far from a simple CSR activity, Niine’s efforts at the Kumbh are being hailed as a movement to normalise menstruation and promote menstrual hygiene. By taking this bold step, the brand continues to demonstrate its commitment to fostering social change and empowering women.

  • Glad U Came PR agency introduces menstrual leave for employees

    Glad U Came PR agency introduces menstrual leave for employees

    Mumbai: Glad U Came becomes the first PR agency to announce period leaves for its menstruating employees on ‘Menstrual Hygiene Day’. With 90 per cent of its employees being women, the agency recognises the importance of the hour and believes that period leaves are something that every working woman deserves.

    This policy will make it easier for women to take time off on the first day of their period. Female employees are hesitant to explain the reason for their leave during their period, so they avoid taking leaves and work in discomfort & pain. 

    In any case, most women try to push through and go to work. This is typically due to a concern of being viewed as weak or unable to execute their jobs if they disclose menstrual-related symptoms to their supervisors in most of the companies. This policy by Glad U Came would give employees who have painful menstrual or menopausal symptoms the option of working remotely and taking a set number of paid leave days each year. It’s past time to acknowledge that women menstruate and that it’s perfectly acceptable to take a day off to get through the discomfort. 

    Speaking of this new policy, Glad U Came founder Maddie Amrutkar said, “We are a young and small team of twenty five people, twenty one of whom are women. Menstruation is something that she goes through every month and this is the least we can do to comfort her. I believe that period leave is not a privilege but a basic right that every woman deserves. The aim is to decrease the stigma associated with menstruation and make it easier for women who are experiencing period pain to take a break.”

  • Whisper’s new ad keeps it ‘bloody’ real, soothes period ‘blues’ away

    Whisper’s new ad keeps it ‘bloody’ real, soothes period ‘blues’ away

    Mumbai: Whisper is finally keeping it real. India’s leading sanitary napkin and personal hygiene brand has debuted its new commercial using realistic red fluid- not blue- depicting period blood for what it is. Bloody red, of course.

    About time too. It’s 2021 for period’s sake. The ubiquitous blue-coloured liquid has been used in ads promoting feminine hygiene products for far too long.

    The new ad for Whisper Ultra, which claims to be endowed with herbal oil that not only locks wetness but odour too, is otherwise unremarkable, showcasing the usual tropes of a sanitary pad ad- a happy looking girl going about her job with extra enthusiasm.

    Where it breaks new ground is when it shows the pad absorbency, using an authentic-looking red fluid in place of the usual sanitised ink-blue liquid. The brand had used red before too, in an animated video ad launched in November 2020, but it had less of an impact being an animation.

    The Feminine Hygiene Products Market in India is valued at Rs. 25.02 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach INR 58.62 billion by 2024, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of ~14.92 per cent, during the 2019-2024 period, as per a ResearchAndMarkets report.

    The report also revealed that Whisper by P&G Hygiene & Health Care held the largest market share at a cool 51.42 per cent, followed by Stayfree and Kotex in 2018.

    For the country’s biggest brand to take this maiden step of normalising periods and menstruation is nothing short of a giant leap for the Indian consumer market. Growing awareness about intimate hygiene and increase in preference for sanitary products like tampons and panty liners have garnered a huge demand for feminine hygiene products in the country. The entry of new players and start-ups is also expanding the feminine hygiene products market in India.

    In fact, the credit for breaking this age-old misleading practice of using blue liquid in commercials goes to a much lesser-known homegrown brand. Nobel Hygiene’s RIO, which was the first sanitary pad brand that woke up to the challenge in India and realistically portrayed ‘period blood’ in red, instead of blue on TV.

    The viral ad featuring actor Radhika Apte launched in July last year was path-breaking in many ways, tackling most of the uncomfortable truths associated with menstruation but which are usually brushed under the carpet by most commercials keen to show a happier-than-thou picture perfect version. For someone who has no knowledge of periods, it wouldn’t be surprising if these ads made them believe that women indeed bleed blue and that periods are effortless!

    However, conversations around the subject are still hush-hush in public and even in families sometimes, despite it being a normal biological function affecting half of human-kind. Sanitary napkins continue to be wrapped up in sanitised brown paper, lest its offensive contents be visible to the public eye.

    In March this year, The Body Shop India had launched a campaign ‘Periods are #BloodyNatural’ calling out to end period shame and break taboos and stereotypes around it.

    The campaign, featuring actor Shraddha Kapoor talked about how it’s been normal for society to shame periods, giving out the much-needed message: “But periods are #BloodyNatural. It is society that’s strange. We at The Body Shop India believe that a conversation can change the world. It’s time to talk about periods as the natural phenomena that they are. #DropThePWord into your conversation to end period stigma.”

    Recently, a Thai-origin brand called SANITA also came up with an Indian ad that promotes awareness and openness about the product. It gave out a pertinent message, while also taking a potshot at the giant in the category- the tagline for the brand went “There’s nothing to Whisper about it”! We agree!

    It goes without saying that brands hold the power to drive change in society and start that much-needed conversation. Here’s hoping that more companies join P&G’s Whisper, wake up and realise that blood has always been red. Let’s normalise talking about something that’s a very basic biological function. Period!

  • Raho Safe distributes free sanitary pads to Neemka District Jail inmates

    Raho Safe distributes free sanitary pads to Neemka District Jail inmates

    NEW DELHI: Raho Safe, the sister concern of India’s leading hygiene and wellness brand, Pee Safe, recently distributed free sanitary pads to over 60 female inmates of Neemka, District Jail Faridabad. The drive was undertaken as a part of the brand’s #HaqSePERIOD campaign which emphasizes on every girl and woman’s right to safe and hygienic periods. Over 144 packets containing around 864 Raho Safe sanitary pads and educational booklets on menstrual hygiene were given to all inmates.

    There are nearly 336 million menstruating women in India but only 121 million (roughly 42 per cent) use sanitary napkins. Despite the progress in addressing the taboo against menstruation and access to pads, there is still room for improvement. Pee Safe and its sister concern Raho Safe have been actively campaigning to focus on this aspect through various initiatives such as #HaqSePERIOD.

    Pee Safe and Raho Safe founder Vikas Bagaria said, “It was while I was reading an article that I understood that even female inmates across India lack access to sanitary pads. They are also deprived of the amount of water required during menstruation. We have been spreading awareness on removing the stigma against periods. It was time to go a step further and ensure that women and girls have access to menstrual products irrespective of their socio-economic status. We want to be an enabler in removing period poverty from the country. We have started with Neemka District Jail in Faridabad, covering 2 months of their menstrual cycle and a small interactive session on menstruation.”

    Raho Safe aims to reach out to as many prisons in Rajasthan and Haryana in the coming months. The brand will be tying up with more prisons going forward. Raho Safe, launched in March 2020, brings in affordable products such as sanitary pads, disinfectants, and hand sanitisers. Raho Safe recently brought on board actor, influencer and entrepreneur Jacqueline Fernandez as its brand ambassador for two years. Raho Safe has been undertaking various campaigns to advocate the cause of personal hygiene and developed goodwill and trust amongst its consumer base.