Tirap launches low cost sanitary pkin production unit

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, July 6: With an aim to provide better menstrual hygiene to the women and reach the women of the most remote and interior villages at the lowest price, Tirap district in Aruchal Pradesh yesterday launched the first production unit of sanitary pkin in the state.

With the brand me “We Care’, Deputy Commissioner Ravi Jha while iugurating the unit said that the concept of hygiene has found to be lacking in the villages of the district, an official release informed here today.

“The situation is grimmer in the remote villages of the district. In particular the hygiene practices employed by rural women during the menstrual cycle were found to be very poor,” the DC said.

According to a survey conducted by the district administration in collaboration with North Eastern Region Community Resource Magement Project (NERCORMP), it was found that village women do not use any kind of sanitary pads during their menstrual cycle.

The findings of the survey was that  many women in the village used scrap cloths or nothing, the very traditiol method for maging monthly period, leading to many health related problems for the women folk. The reason behind non-usage was attributed by them to lack of awareness and monetary constraints.

“As majority of the women expressed willingness to use pads if a low cost altertive is made available to them, the low cost sanitary pad project was undertaken in the district, the DC said.

The project is based on the low cost sanitary pad machine invented by Aruchalam Murugantham of Coimbatore who is one of the vanguards of sanitary pads movement in India.

The operation of the project would be done by women SHG under the aegis of NERCORMP, Tirap whereby, low cost pads would be manufactured by the women and sold to the rural women.

The cost of an eight pad packet would come around to Rs 23 only.

The project would have benefits of good health, improved hygiene and employment creation and will give an impetus to SHG movement in the district.

‘We Care’ would provide better menstrual hygiene and health care for women in the district and give livelihood opportunities to rural women. It would also create sales and distribution models through village level women entrepreneurs, the report said.   

‘We Care’ production unit is run by women group Women Development SHG promoted by NERCORMP Tirap and Longding.

Kann from Coimbatore has come to Khonsa to train the SHG women members. ‘We Care’ pads are UV rays sterilized and adhere to BIS standard for sanitary pkins. The product would be available at lowest market price.

‘We Care’ pad is fully biodegradable under compostable condition, solving the problem of rural disposal and ensuring minimal damage to the environment.

In the initial stage the production unit would be monitored and supervise by NERCORMP Tirap till the Women Development SHG could handhold the unit.

We Care would be the first pkin production unit in the state, with an aim to provide better menstrual hygiene to the women and reach the women of the most remote and interior villages in the district of the state at the lowest price, the release added.