71% of adolescent girls in India remain unaware of menstruation till menarche. Menstruation is normal and a healthy part of life and yet girls and women in India go through extreme struggles to manage their period every month.
National Family Health Survey 2015-2016 estimates that of the 336 million menstruating women in India about 121 million (roughly 36 percent) women are using sanitary napkins, locally or commercially produced.
And so at Umang, we aim at making the use of sanitary napkins available for the underdeveloped and unaware communities. We make sure to go that extra mile to help all the women in our nearby localities have access to sanitary napkins and thus help underprivileged women in maintaining good hygiene and health by giving them a dignified menstrual experience.
Menstrual cycle also makes girls belonging to these areas miss schooling due to uncomfortableness caused by the use of cloth. Nearly 23 million girls drop out of school annually due to the lack of proper menstrual hygiene management facilities, which include the availability of sanitary napkins and logical awareness of menstruation. Some women wash the same cloth every month and re-use them, leading to more dangerous menstrual problems.
Umang Foundation Trust along with the volunteers distribute the sanitary pads at the doorsteps of the women in the slum areas and at BMC schools. Through these efforts, we want to eradicate the use of cloth among women during menstruations in these areas that cause various health issues.
Umang also strives to break the shame and silence that makes menstrual hygiene a big taboo and pursues to become a strong guide for women in every step of their menstrual hygiene.