The possibilities for managing periods are frankly endless but the discourse of when and how to use them for our bodies’ good and the good of the earth is limited. So Sonal Jain of Bengaluru-based organisation Boondh is coming to Hyderabad’s Jxtapose to open up avenues for women and men on this very subject.
Having completed the World Merit Fellowship three years ago, Sonal’s scope lies in gender equality. Through her work, she found a global community doing similar projects. Two years later, the United Nations partnered up with World Merit to address environmental sustainability, where Sonal was approached to facilitate a project. She gathered a team of 22 people who’d collectively educate people about responsible consumption in regards to carbon emissions and waste management.
“A few years before this, I was in Latin America,” recalls Sonal, “and someone had given me a moon cup. I thought this was a great product, because it personally appealed to me on many levels. It was better for the body because no toxic chemicals are involved. It’s also cost-effective and better for the environment, unlike pads.” So when Sonal returned to India, she wondered why the product wasn’t widely available in India, but what was available was quite expensive.
I hope those who attend the workshop will establish a better relationship with their periods.
Sonal faced a lot of taboo-saddled issues when researching about the cup, the most obvious one being that it’s an insertable product which approaches concerns of virginity and the hymen. “For the few people who did want to try it,” adds Sonal, “I wanted to see how the product would be made possible at a reasonable price. I never wanted to enter the product industry but no one else was taking the initiative so I went ahead.”
Excited to be in Hyderabad, Sonal explains the city is quite forward-thinking. “I hope those who attend the workshop will establish a better relationship with their periods,” starts Sonal, who describes her own struggles with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and hormonal imbalances — which frequently landed her in the hospital and sometimes in need of transfusions.
The talk will largely comprise of open dialogue around the various sanitary products. One issue will the luxury tax which millions of women around the world find atrocious; after all, condoms aren’t taxed. Another subject explored is dysmenorrhea and PMS, which affect women everyday in vastly different ways. Yet another huge taboo Sonal also wants to discuss will be intimacy during periods, which is frowned upon in our culture.
And of course, Sonal will be dipping into ideologies around environmental sustainability of certain products. “When someone disposes of a used pad,” she says, “it’s someone’s job to pick that up manually because many of them are not biodegradable.”
She adds that one of the biggest subjects Boondh will approach is where these products come from and what materials are used. An example she uses is that of certain pads, explaining, some companies do not disclose the possibly harmful chemicals they use to increase the retention capacity of their products.
Essentially the event delves into issues that go beyond periods, ultimately uniting women and men in an accepting space for open dialogue.
Join Sonal Jain and Boondh at Jxtapose on Sunday January 14 at 4pm. Book your free slot at meraevents.