INCREASING OPTIONS FOR MENSTURAL HYGIENE MANAGEMENT
With support from Essity and in partnership with Mahila Sarvangeen Utkarsh Mandal (MASUM), Chaitanya and the International Center for Research on Women, the 3D Program is testing the acceptability of reusable sanitary napkins among rural women to inform district and state government planning and programs to increase the options for menstrual hygiene management (MHM) provided to women. The study will be conducted on 150 women in three sites and will document the experience of women over 4-5 menstrual cycles and will gather data on the willingness of women to use the pad, their experience with it and their willingness to pay a higher cost upfront for reduced expenditure in the long-term. The results from the study will be shared with the district and state governments to strengthen government programs such as the Asmita scheme.
Reusable sanitary napkins supplied by Allforasmile Foundation in Pune, India. The napkins are made of all-natural 100% cotton and are designed to be effective and discrete. Allforasmile supports women's entrepreneurship in Pune by providing women self-help groups (SHGs) with training and tools to produce and market reusable sanitary napkins, creating a sustainable model for women to earn their own income.