In December 2021, Ujaas was born out of a powerful desire for profound and meaningful change in rural India's menstrual landscape. It was a seed of thought, nurtured with vision and determination. Since its inception, Ujaas has been relentlessly striving to dispel stigmas and misconceptions, while also increasing the availability of sanitary pads to rural women in Maharashtra.
And early this year, the initiative took another leap. An organic, seamless broadening of horizons, with Ujaas Green. It began as a project to jointly address rural India’s period poverty and gender inequality through three key pillars: Awareness, Accessibility, and Sustainability. Over time, it has evolved into a tool for empowering women economically and socially, driving grassroots change.
A forward-thinking, holistic approach is the cornerstone of Ujaas Green. While sustainability is key to positive Menstrual Health Management (MHM), period poverty is deeply rooted in the gender inequality that's prevalent in India’s villages. In the absence of a competent mechanism, the disposal of plastic-heavy pads raised major health, hygiene and even environmental concerns. On the other hand, rampant unemployment rendered many women unable to afford sustainable menstrual pads.
Driven by the vision of my youngest daughter, Advaitesha, and under the aegis of the Aditya Birla Education Trust with the Gates Foundation as its funding partner, Ujaas Green was conceptualised as a 'Partnership to advance Gender Equality and Menstrual Health'.
It aims to implement healthier and more sustainable menstrual management practices using reusable cloth pads, while also enabling women within local communities to achieve economic independence and a voice that's no longer unheard. Ujaas Green was launched in Maharashtra’s Jalna district, where Ujaas selected a group of 10 to 20 women from a Self-Help Group (SHG) to train them in making cloth pads, which can be washed and safely reused for up to a year.
As someone who has witnessed the endeavour take wings, Santosh Khandekar, Commissioner, Jalna Mahanagarpalika, says, “Through the production of reusable, chemical-free, and environment-friendly cloth pads, this initiative is promoting both sustainability and women’s empowerment at the grassroots level.” From establishing small production units and distributing samples, to training these SHGs in social marketing, market linkages, and financial management, the programme adopted an all-encompassing approach from the outset.
The journey from idea to implementation was not without hurdles. One of the biggest challenges was to encourage young girls and women to make the switch from disposable sanitary napkins to reusable cloth pads. This was achieved through roping in Period Sakhis, a team of motivated women working tirelessly to encourage menstrual hygiene among the underprivileged.
At every step along the way, it has been our aim to be in alignment with WHO's Sustainable Development Goals. Be it promoting safe and sustainable menstrual hygiene products, empowering women economically and socially to advance gender equality, providing them livelihood opportunities through skill development and entrepreneurship, or supporting environmentally conscious practices to minimise the ecological footprint.
For many women, joining this initiative has been much more than earning a steady income. It has instilled a sense of purpose and pride in them. Anusaya Chapwar, an SHG member, shares, "I feel empowered knowing that the pads we make are helping women lead healthier lives while also promoting sustainability. Through the financial literacy sessions, I have learned how to manage my earnings and plan for a secure future. Today, I see myself as a small-scale entrepreneur, contributing to my household and community's well-being".
A few months into launch, Ujaas Green is now on the anvil of increasing its impact by including Maharashtra's Wardha district in its ambit. As the initiative spreads its reach, the vision is to make each community self-reliant, and also enable our rural women to become beacons of financial empowerment.
It's not just about touching lives, but transforming as many as we can.