Many parts of rural (as well as urban) India are still steeped in harmful myths and misconceptions around menstruation. In certain regions and communities, a menstruating woman is completely ostracised.

Under Project Saamarthi, the Baramati Hub started distributing sanitary pads and running awareness drives from September 2020 with an aim to embrace period positivity and break the menstrual taboo amongst the women and girls in slum and rural areas. 

For the first phase of the project, the team visited door-to-door to all the local slum regions of Baramati and distributed, 3,000+ sanitary napkins, face masks and medical health checkups amongst 1,100+ women and young girls. The main intention was to provide sanitary hygiene supplements to the poor during the harsh situations of lockdown due to COVID-19.

In the second phase, the project team visited the Shirsuphal village and distributed 350+ sanitary napkins that would suffice a girl for two months. A total of 150+ young girls and women - including the locals, medical officers, Asha workers, and school teachers - took part in the awareness and educational session. The main aim was to provide accurate information about menstrual hygiene to young girls.

During the third phase, the team targeted the outskirt slum area of Baramati. The distribution drive was conducted in slums of Takrarwadi in Bhigwan and few areas in Swami Chincholi where we distributed 300+ sanitary napkins amongst 250+ households.

More than 4,000+ packets of sanitary pads were distributed and awareness about menstrual hygiene and Sanitary waste disposal, among 1,700+ women/girls across the villages and slums was created.

The hub intends to continue these sessions to encourage the girls and women to open up, adapt, and break the "period taboo" to bring healthy positive changes in their lives. This project aims to gradually increase women's familiarity with menstrual products and proper disposal while also promoting alternatively reusable and environmentally friendly menstrual products such as biodegradable disposal bags, reusable pads, etc.