Low-cost environment-friendly menstrual health solutions for rural communities

Theme: Communities first

Expected Pilot Duration - 3 months

Challenge Summary

Menstrual health awareness among rural communities is below par and there is a significant need for low-cost environmental-friendly menstrual hygiene management & disposal solutions

Challenge Scenario

In India, menstrual awareness is generally poor in rural communities and young women do not have access to reliable information (several myths & misconceptions) about their reproductive health & rights. Only 35% of menstruating women in India use sanitary napkins. Due to poor menstrual health awareness, lakhs of girls drop out of schools in the rural parts of the country.

A woman in her menstruating years generates 125kg of sanitary waste, which ends in landfills through the usage of sanitary pads. Sanitary pad disposal by conventional means affect the health of sanitary workers and increase carbon footprint.

A holistic solution to address the challenges in creating menstrual health awareness, access to low-cost & environmental friendly pads & efficient ways to dispose of the sanitary waste is needed for both rural & semi-urban communities.

Profile of the end users

Coal Oven Team

Women in rural areas: Women in rural areas who don't have access to safe menstrual solutions.

Procurement Team

Sanitary Workers: People who handle sanitary waste collection & disposal who uses current land filing & fire incineration of the pads.

Solution Requirements

Awareness Program: Creating awareness about reproductive & menstrual health for both men & women

Low-cost Sanitary solutions: Ease of access to low-cost, environmental friendly sanitary solutions

Sanitary Pad Disposal: An eco-friendly solution to safely dispose sanitary/menstrual waste

Vernacular awareness programme in rural communities on menstrual hygiene

Environment friendly & affordable menstrual products accessible across schools, colleges & public toilets for women, etc.

Low carbon disposal solution for waste management

TCO: An affordable solution which can be managed by the local communities with ease

Adoption barriers: Lack of awareness and reaching to all section of girls & women in the communities

Expected Outcomes

2. Qualified Outcomes:

Target State (Expected)
Increase adoption of healthy menstrual products among the community
Reduction in the number of women affected with diseases caused by poor menstrual hygiene such as UTI, cervical cancer, yeast infection etc.

3. ESG Impact:

ESG Metric	Expected Value/State
Number of women benefitted	>3500

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