KOCHI: Often, a cultural shift is necessary to solve problems plaguing society. Witnessing the plight of Kudumbashree members tasked with segregating waste, which also included used sanitary napkins, Noureen Aysha knew that this was one such case.
To bring about awareness and by extension, a positive change, the 24-year-old started a social media campaign, which eventually led to the creation of Femisafe, Kerala’s first menstrual cup brand.
“It was during the Covid pandemic, when I was staying home, that I realised how difficult it is to dispose of sanitary napkins. They were piling up. Once the lockdown was lifted, the Kudumbashree members started collecting waste once a week. However, the pile-up of waste meant that these women had to segregate them. I was disturbed seeing them having to handle used sanitary napkins,” says Noureen.
Realising that a product like menstrual cups has several benefits and can change the lives of many women, she, along with her fiancee Naseef Nazar, launched the brand Femisafe in August 2020.
“I have been using menstrual cups for six or seven years. I know how comfortable it is. We conducted a market survey and realised that there was a lack of awareness. Only 50 per cent of the people knew that there was such a product as a menstrual cup,” she says.
Launched in Kerala, Femisafe soon grew into a pan-Indian brand and later, started exporting to the UAE. “Initially, we could sell only around 5,000 menstrual cups. With more awareness, the market is growing. We have already sold around one lakh products in the last three years,” she says, adding, “We also launched other hygiene and wellness products focusing on tier two and tier three cities.”
According to Noureen, only awareness can break the stigmas associated with using menstrual cups. Women, she says, should be encouraged to use this economical and environment-friendly product.
“We started social media campaigns at the beginning and conducted awareness classes in schools, colleges and workplaces. We need to educate women on how to use menstrual cups, as there are misconceptions and fears. Many believe that it may cause pain and infection,” she says, adding that she has also come across situations where young women were restricted by their mothers and were asked to use menstrual cups only after marriage.
“Menstrual cups are more economical than pads as they are reusable. We can use it for five to seven years. It is convenient to carry during travel as well. We can also solve the issue of waste disposal,” she emphasises.