CHENNAI: Jayanthi* was in class 8 when she first came across a TV commercial that advertised a sanitary napkin, the most revolutionised menstrual product in the ‘feminine hygiene market’. “I was so thrilled and relieved that I didn’t have to rely on cloth anymore. It had to be washed every day, and there were high risks of leaks and stains,” she says. Cut to present, Jayanthi is 50 years old and she has seen a global change in menstrual hygiene products that are readily available in the market.
From tampons, cloth pads, menstrual cups, period subscription boxes to leakproof period panties, the menstrual hygiene or women ‘intimate’ products have made women feel debatably at ease when aunt Flo comes to town. But, the price we pay is hardly spoken about, unless there is a tax on blood, literally.
Women have an estimated 450 periods (2,250 days) during their lifetime. Though the quantity of pads and other menstrual products used by each individual changes from person to person, a woman spends anything from `8000 to `30,000 and above, on an average in her life on period products.
Roshni Raghavan, a digital marketing executive says she spends close to `300 a month, on sanitary napkins and panty liners. “My family has been pretty loyal to one particular brand of sanitary napkins. I’ve never really explored any other brand and haven’t tried tampons, menstrual cups or eco-friendly sanitary napkins. My only reason for a switch would be for a more eco-friendly option,” she says.
A 2017 report by Euromonitor, a market research company, revealed that the Indian feminine hygiene product market was valued at $340 million and is expected to reach $522 million in 2020. While this may prompt one to think about how the dreaded monthly visitor is driving a global market, another statistic suggests that about 70 per cent of women in the rural areas still use rags because of poverty and lack of knowledge.
A year ago, the Government introduced the country and its women to a 12% Goods and Service tax (GST) on sanitary napkins and tampons, creating a hullaballoo. The business of menstruation from being a basic affair escalated into a luxurious one, especially for women from underprivileged backgrounds. “Menstrual hygiene products are not a luxury. As a woman from a metro, living comfortably above the poverty line, I don’t mind spending `500 per month on good quality products. But we also need to think of women who are not as lucky enough to afford this,” shares Roshni.
Kirthi Jayakumar, a city-based women’s right activist concurs, “I would definitely like to see ways to make menstruation sustainable and affordable with tax-free products and enough education on them.”
About five decades back, ‘period’ was a word that appalled most people. Menstruation was an affair that was hushed within four walls, but today it has become a ‘profitable taboo’. A host of products like the leakproof/period panties and the period subscription boxes have emerged, changing the way people view the feminine care industry.
Adira, an online lingerie store with over 6,000 followers on Facebook, is a homegrown brand which provides period panties for menstruating girls and women. It is to be worn with sanitary pads or tampons. Their options range from period boxers, hipsters to lacy and printed girl shorts, for medium-flow days to high-flow days, and costs between `350 to `2,000 (for a pack of five boxers). “The market has a huge potential and our customers are girls and women across all age groups, and there’s a demand for it every three to five months. I have seen mothers buy them for their daughters so that they are at ease in school, working women feel confident while using it during meetings and conferences. We have also had women with PCOS/PCOD who have heavy menstruation, use it,” says Jayaraman Parameswaran, Director, customer success (Adira).
Bojo, a subscription platform, provides period subscription kits and pampers women with essentials and other goodies. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a woman gets her monthly period kit without having to visit a store every single time? Also, women, especially in tier 3 and 4 cities can avoid the awkwardness of buying pads from stores,” says Jai Goyal, founder. The period boxes start at `150 for the regular sanitary pads subscription boxes and go up to `1,799, for the ‘Grand periods box’, packed with chocolates, sweets, cookies, bath bombs, lip balm, soft toys, sanitizers and wet wipes.
While the state government as part of the 2018-19 budget, has allocated `60.58 crore for implementation of the sanitary napkin distribution scheme, under the Menstrual Hygiene Programme, eco-feminists like Kavya Menon, co-founder, Sustainable Menstruation collectives/Chennai Ambassador for Eco Femme and Bharti Kannan, founder, Boondh, a social enterprise that focuses on sustainable menstruation through menstrual cups and menstrual hygiene management, share that the growing problem of menstrual waste should be addressed.
Disposable sanitary pads take hundreds of years to decompose. Eco Femme makes eco-friendly, reusable cloth pads and panty liners starting from `245. “We also have starter kits at Eco femme. As part of our outreach programmes, we are looking to deliver over 10,000 pads across the country (excluding commercial sales),” says Kavya.
Globally, advertisements have also begun to change the way they market their brands. Decades after the beginning of the femcare industry, Bodyform, a UK-based brand showed a blood stain instead of the usual blue liquid, indicating that women bleed red, not blue. But, we certainly do bleed green!
(*Name changed on request)