A mission to end period shame
Studies say that eighty-eight per cent of menstruating women in India use unsanitary materials like dried leaves, ash, wood shavings, old fabric/rags, newspapers etc. to absorb the menstrual discharge. And poor menstrual hygiene leads to 70% increase. To normalise the conversation around periods and raise funds towards menstrual health and education efforts for communicated deeply affected by the pandemic, The Body Shop India, in collaboration with NGO CRY - Child Rights and You, has launched an initiative.
Shriti Malhotra, CEO, The Body Shop India, said, “With our core focus on feminism and female empowerment, there is no denying that the pandemic has worsened the already critical issue of period shame and menstrual access. This is a change that each of us has the power to make – by speaking out honestly about menstruation, taking personal action in our own spaces towards it.
Shame-free periods, safe menstrual products and accurate menstrual education is not a womens’ cause, it is a human cause.” Over the next four months, the two organisations will work towards creating period awareness using its wide network of stores, website and social media channels as touchpoints.
Apart from that, funds will be raised to help pandemic-hit communities. “Targeting a minimum commitment of `1.2 million, The Body Shop will encourage its patrons and customers to support the cause with a small voluntary donation of `20 while shopping in stores or online,” adds Malhotra. People can also donate sealed period products in Red Period Bins installed at all exclusive The Body Shop stores.
She shares, “All period products collected will be donated to local communities in need through CRY.” Digital pledges such as ‘I pledge to never hide my period products and carry them instead with pride’, ‘I pledge to tell a male family member about periods and have open conversations with everyone at home’, ‘I
pledge to be honest about my period experiences and use the word period with my friends instead of confusing code words’, and ‘I pledge to make my community a periodfriendly environment’, will also be collected from consumers, colleagues and beyond to propel action.
“Through this initiative, we are aiming to provide menstrual health awareness, education and free menstrual products to 10,000+ people across 4,500 households. This campaign will also benefit underprivileged girls and women from slum communities in Delhi/ NCR where access to menstrual health and products has been hit,” shares Malhotra. As part of the initiative, period products will be distributed to over 1,000 adolescent girls and women. Period Pathshala sessions will also be organised to educate adolescent girls and boys on menstrual health and hygiene including usage of period products.
Videos and movie screenings with adolescent girls and boys will also be done to build awareness and bust myths prevalent around menstruation. Apart from that, anaemia check-up kiosks to screen for common menstrual health conditions will be held. “Through this movement The Body Shop is aimed to create an inclusive and long-term change on ground by including all genders in the conversation and working with CRY to bring about long-term attitudinal changes in disadvantaged communities , ” Malhotra concludes.