SHILLONG, Feb 20: Steplakrai village in East Khasi Hills has taken an important step and achieved freedom from menstruation waste. The credit for this achievement goes to Shubham Charitable Association and Akhil Bhartiya Marwari Mahila Sammelan, Meghalaya, with whose cooperation, reusable sanitary pads and panties made by the association were distributed free of cost among all women of the village aged between 9 years to 40 years under the Zero Waste Period Campaign held on February 17.
In this bold move, Steplakrai village, in the presence of Marshall Khongjoh, Headman of Steplakrai village, Approlan Dohling, Shubham Coordinator, Madonna Kharkongor and Damanbha Nognkhlaw, School teachers of the Steplakrai village school, has pledged to reduce menstruation waste and usage of disposable sanitary pads and promote environmental protection.
The Zero Waste Period campaign has inspired all women of this village to not use disposable pads and reduce menstrual waste and have also resolved to use self-made reusable sanitary pads.
Need for Zero Waste Period campaign
Waste accumulated from sanitary pads stands as a serious problem. Only in India, more than 50 crore women use billions of sanitary pads every year and throw them in rivers and landfills. The waste generated due to this does not dissolve in the soil for hundreds of years. And due to its toxic side-effects, the rivers and reservoirs are getting contaminated. This is also a reason why countless incurable diseases are increasing.
To get rid of this problem, Shubham Charitable Association, which has been dedicatedly working for the welfare of women in Meghalaya and Assam for the last 25 years, has taken a special initiative in Northeast by making reusable sanitary pads and panties which are made from improved fabrics.
For the reusable sanitary pads and panties manufactured by the association, high quality fabric has been used due to which women can protect themselves from the blood flow that occurs during their menstruation.
Reusable sanitary pads and panties manufactured by Shubham named ‘Reusable Fresh Pads and Fresh Panty’, has received certification from certified labs from the Ministry of Textiles. These pads and panties have been used by more than 2,000 women, and there has been no incident of any kind of rash or infection.
Any woman can use this reusable fresh pad or panty for 6 to 8 hours during menstruation, and can use it again after cleaning it thoroughly with soap in clean running water, drying it in the sun or shade.
Women can wash this pad more than 80 times.
The Zero Waste Period campaign started by Shubham Charitable Association has received special momentum and recognition by Padma Shri Patricia Mukhim, who herself is serious and sensitive about the cleanliness of the environment. Operation Clean Up campaign under her captainship has been running in Meghalaya for several years now.
Her suggestions and guidance have been of special importance for the Zero Waste Period campaign.
