1. Disposal of Sanitary Napkin

2. It happens to us 14,66,17,293 girls and women
Why is a normal vital process of human existence –Menstruation - considered contaminated, dirty & impure
Reproductive Right
It happens to us 14,66,17,293 girls and women

3. What Is MHM
Women and adolescent girls using a clean menstrual management material o absorb or collect blood that can be changed in privacy as often as necessary for the duration of the menstruation period, using soap and water for washing the body as required, and having access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials.
Source-UNICEF and WHO, 2014

4. 87% 74% 70% 100% 64% household do not have toilets in U.P
Had No dialogue on Menstruation
64% household do not have toilets in U.P
87%
Old (unhygienic) cloth to manage
74%
Rural India women still use unsanitaized cloth
70%
Fathers were in favour of preparing girls for their first menstruation
Formative Research in U.P with menstruating adolescents – UNICEF, 2012

5. Do You Know...
“Average women will throw nearly 16,800 pads in her life cycle”
“Nothing inherently wrong in reusing”

6. Disposable Sanitary Napkin
Top layer – is made of polypropylene-a plastic fleece
Padding- wood pulp mixed with SAP(plastic based gel)
Leak proof
Contrary to popular belief, most disposal sanitary napkins are made almost entirely of plastic

7. Possible Disposal Mechanism
Burning
Digging
Flushing

8. Health & Environmental Effects
Most disposal pads end up as unsegregated household waste or are burned along with domestic waste-releasing toxins from the plastics.
Source of the harmful chemicals that can be used in sanitary napkins
- Use of chlorine bleach to whiten the product that bleaching process does not sterilise anything . It only ensure that the products are white. The process results in the production of dioxin-a type of “organochlorine” as it DDT, PCBs and Agent organs, that is linked to cancer, especially breast cancer, immune system suppression, endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory diseases, and sperm count
- Artificial Fragrances – added to napkins can cause local allergies and skin reaction
- Insecticides and herbicides – sprayed on cotton crop especially ‘Furan’ stay on cotton for long after it is harvested.
Pad takes 500 years to degrade. Every year we add equivalent of 180 billion plastic bags to our waste by using plastic laden feminine hygiene products.

9. Local solutions in offer
Home Based Mechanism

10. Local solutions in offer
Community & School based Mechanism

11. Menstrual Hygiene Scheme
20 States
152 Districts
1.5 crore Adolescent Girls
90 million pads per month
DISPOSAL ??

12. Thank You