Ensure Countless Women Have A Safe & Comfortable Period, Donate Sanitary Napkins Today

23 million adolescent girls in our country have been forced to drop out of school because of a lack of proper menstrual hygiene facilities and awareness of menstruation. It is still considered a big taboo and period poverty is a raging menace in India.

What is period poverty?

It’s the lack of access to safe and comfortable period care. This includes having clean water, privacy, and high-quality menstrual products, along with a supportive environment where questions are freely asked.

According to the World Bank, over 500 million young girls and women worldwide are affected by period poverty. 

The sad reality of rural women fighting the stigma around periods  

Millions of families in India barely earn enough to afford two square meals a day. They live in deplorable conditions and women in such families have been the worst hit by period poverty. Unable to find any affordable alternative, they have been forced to use tattered rags, newspapers, leaves, and even cow dung. 

Lack of access to sanitary napkins has affected the hygienic conditions of these women, making them vulnerable to various diseases and menstrual infections. The issues could be anywhere from cervical cancer, Reproductive Tract Infections, Hepatitis B infection, and multiple types of yeast infections to Urinary Tract Infections. 

The National Family Health Survey estimates that of the 336 million menstruating women in India about 215 million (roughly 58 percent) women don’t have access to sanitary napkins.

Shrouded in secrecy and considered impure, open discussions about periods are rare especially in rural India making it difficult for mothers to learn about proper hygiene practices. Often cultural restrictions and misunderstandings make things worse. 

Period products shouldn’t be a luxury for over 200 million women in India. Here’s how you can change that  

Access to sanitary pads and awareness about menstrual hygiene is the fundamental right of every woman. The least we can do for our daughters is to assist them in having a safe period. It’s high time we break the stigma about something as natural as menstruation and join hands to provide sanitary napkins to countless women and young girls. 

Join hands with the Donatekart Foundation and pledge to give millions of women in India a safe period by donating sanitary pads through our partner NGOs. Every single contribution will make a difference. 

1) Mata Rukmini Ashram: Founded by Gandhian Dharampal Saini in 1976, Mata Rukmini Devi Ashram(named after Vinoba Bhave’s mother), was formed to educate thousands of children in the backward villages of Chhattisgarh. Saini runs 37 branches of his school, 21 for girls and 16 for boys, in different villages in the worst Naxalite-hit areas of Bastar. More than 20,000 children have finished matriculation and many of them have rejoined his schools as teachers.

2) Aarudhra Women's Welfare Foundation: Founded in 2021, Aarudhra Women's Welfare Foundation champions social justice and empowers women through education, self-defense training, and essential hygiene awareness campaigns. Their recent focus on menstrual hygiene highlights their dedication to improving the well-being of girls and women in vulnerable communities.