The Sterlite Copper has joined hands with a non-governmental organisation to establish a sanitary napkin production unit at Saaminaththam near here as part of the livelihood programme that creates awareness of menstrual hygiene and ensures the health of women.
Coupled with a paucity of suitable income generation activities, it is challenging for women in rural areas to make independent choices about their health. Towards bridging the gap between awareness and access to menstrual hygiene products, Sterlite Copper has set up a sanitary napkin production unit, says A. Sumathi, Chief Operating Officer, Sterlite Copper, who inaugurated the unit on Saturday.
This project has been executed in collaboration with Bell Sumangali Self Help Group. Twenty women will be identified and trained as part of the programme, with the best-performing trainees being inducted into the manufacturing unit as full-time employees. They can earn up to ₹350-₹500 per day depending on quantity of production. Up to 3,150 napkins can be produced in a day by the unit, which will be made available for sale through tenders. The partner NGO in collaboration with the village’s women will ensure training, production and sale of the finished goods, helping generate income and encouraging micro-level entrepreneurship.
“This project will simultaneously help in spreading awareness on the benefits of adopting hygienic practices and overcoming problems of availability and affordability of sanitary napkins to women in the area. This is a much needed initiative that will help serve a key area of women’s health, and therefore will be of immense benefit to the overall community. The project will also aid in further empowering rural women in Thoothukudi to make informed choices regarding their own wellbeing,” says Ms. Sumathi.