For the first time, a sanitary napkin brand (Anandi) leveraged a traditional festival (Raksha Bandhan) to encourage male awareness about periods through a direct one on one outreach. Using bangles as ornaments and as means to access sanitary hygiene, we launched Raksha ki Choodiyan (Bangles that Protect) - gift that brothers could give to sisters on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan (an annual Indian festival for brothers and sisters). The bangle box we created didnot just provide girls access to sanitary hygiene but also gave men a much needed non-verbal means to express concern and overcome awkwardness around periods.

Menstruation continues to be a subject of gender disparity in India with low awareness levels and lack of access to sanitary hygiene. Unfortunately, 23 million girls in India drop out of school due to periods. Furthermore, women across India are even barred from aspects of social life such as entering the kitchen, offering prayers and touching holy books.

Aakar (A hybrid social enterprise that enables women to produce and distribute affordable, high-quality, 100% compostable sanitary napkins) wanted to break the silence around the issue of Menstrual Hygiene and provide knowledge/guidance to masses, especially adolescent girls. The enterprise’s core objective was to sample in conservative rural areas and also change the mindset of both men and women towards menstruation and use of sanitary napkins.

The idea was to break the stigma surrounding menstruation and involve men to help, enable a behavioural change.

Today, only 24% of India’s 350 million menstruating women and girls use sanitary napkins to manage their menses. With cost + access both being a concern, we launched Raksha ki Choodiyan (Bangles that Protect) as a gift that brothers could give to their sisters on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan (an annual Indian festival for brothers and sisters). Each box contained 12 bangles. These bangles were engraved with a unique code which, when sent via SMS, could let the girls/women collect their monthly quota 100% compostable sanitary napkins, free of cost, from the local women’s health centre.

India is a patriarchal society. To facilitate any development towards women, it is important to involve the men. Hence, we leveraged the annual festival of Raksha Bandhan. On this day, sisters of all ages tie a talisman, or amulet, called the rakhi, around the wrists of their brothers, and receive a gift in return, thus traditionally investing the brothers with a share of responsibility of the sister’s potential care.

We launched Raksha ki Choodiyan (Bangles that Protect) as a gift that brothers could give to their sisters on Raksha Bandhan.

Through nationwide workshops, the conversation about menstruation and hazards faced by women due to lack of menstrual hygiene was initiated with men. They were then encouraged to give their sisters these bangles during the festival thus, aiming a nationwide change. To tackle stigma faced in getting access, local women’s health centres were liaised with to act as collection centres.

Crafted by local artisans from Faizabad, the bangle town of India, the bangles came in vibrant patterns and colours that appealed to women of all ages – adolescent girls, college going girls as well as older women along with the code intricately engraved by the artists on each bangle.

Workshops were conducted by Aakar campaigners in villages like Bhati Mines, Fatehpur Beri, Harijan Basti across states of Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan. More than 500 men were sensitised through the advocacy exercise, not only benefiting their sisters, but also thousands of womenfolk as the men extended this gift of love to their mothers and wives.

This activity ensured many things like Indian men welcomed an understanding of menstruation, breaking the taboo and shame surrounding the process. Women were introduced to the means of menstrual hygiene and the promise of Rakshabandhan was given a real meaning.

500+ men participated in this advocacy exercise which not only benefitted their sisters, but also benefitted thousands of womenfolk, as the men extended Raksha ki Choodiyan to their mothers and wives.

For the first time, a sanitary napkin brand leveraged the festival of Raksha Bandhan to bring out the gift of protection through sanitary pads.