The Teacher’s Day campaign released by Niine Sanitary Napkins is an ambitious five-year plan aimed at raising awareness on the importance of menstrual hygiene
Only 18 per cent of women in India use sanitary pads. Indian menstrual hygiene brand Niine Sanitary Napkins has unveiled a new campaign this Teacher’s Day, to bridge the gap between 18 to 82 and educate girls and students generally about periods and menstrual hygiene.
Niine Sanitary Napkins launched in India this year with a mission to provide wide access to a high quality, appropriately priced sanitary product to menstruating girls and women across rural and urban India, including in hard to reach areas and communities such as tribal. The Teacher’s Day campaign released by Niine Sanitary Napkins is the latest initiative by the Niine Movement, an ambitious five-year plan aimed at raising awareness on the importance of menstrual hygiene and tackling the taboos associated with menstruation, amongst both genders and across all ages.
Amar Tulsiyan, Founder of the Niine Movement said, “Did you know period cramps can be more painful than a heart attack? And that using a new sanitary pad is essential for each use? There are 71 per cent of girls in India who have no knowledge of menstruation before their first period. It is our duty not just to give them access to use sanitary pads but also educate them about periods.”
“Students look up to their teachers as role models and it’s a topic which should be spoken about without any stigma attached to it. Mothers and family members rarely discuss period hygiene with the girls because 70 per cent of them believe it to be a dirty subject. With a change in mind-set and more people talking about menstrual hygiene, I am sure we can bridge the gap,” he adds.
Despite menstruation being an experience lived by as many as 355 million girls and women in India, approximately only 18 per cent of them currently use sanitary napkins with approximately 82 per cent of women often reverting to unhygienic and unsafe alternatives such as old cloths, rags, hay and even ash.
The Niine Movement is engaging with multi-sector groups in India including governments, corporates and the NGO community to sustain not only a discussion but encourage affirmative action on addressing menstrual hygiene management. To achieve its vision, the Niine Movement’s theory of change adopts a three-pronged approach by: Educating girls, women, boys and men of good menstrual hygiene practices; Enrolling citizens and existing menstrual hygiene product users in a supportive, taboo free environment to create an open forum for discussion and deliberation and; Enhancing the sanitation sector of India by providing the best quality menstrual hygiene products at appropriate prices.
The Niine Movement has also established a strategic partnership with Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI).