Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Dr. N.Manimekalai Professor and Director Department of Womens Studies, Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli- 620 023 nmanimekalai@gmail.com
Evaluation of Different types of Rural sanitary napkins available in terms of availability, accessibility, Performance and easiness of disposal
Display of different samples of Sanitary Napkins [SN] made by SHG Comparing quality with the standard products of MNC Makes available in the Market Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of different SHG products Different kinds of sanitary napkin disposal units [After use] Given the poor quality of the products available for the poor how to develop this market from supply side [how to improve the products and how to encourage from demand side]
Research Findings
UNICEFs Study in Rajasthan 2006,- 15% absenteeism of girls during or after Menstrual cycle due to cramping pains; Most girls get menarche during 11-15 age, 56% of the girls do not get any information about M before the onset 75% did not have any idea about the kind of materials to be used to absorb the flow 75%of the girls use cloth 27% did not use any material 82% reuse the cloth during and across cycles 41% dry it in sun, 27% take leave and stay at home and change cloth 15% do not change the cloth at for the whole day Girl can miss up to 10-20% or 3-4 days per month, 9-12 term, 27-36 days per school year.[Cooke, 2005] Schools lack adequate toilets, water facilities, lack of privacy, all cause discomfort for girls to change the pads Poor MH fungal infections, repeated infections to RTI, vulnerable to infertility [Singh, et al, 2001]
Lack of adequate knowledge about MH at School and Home Lack of emotional support from home Poor access to affordable and effective menstrual materials Poor access to private and hygienic sanitation facilities at school and home, compatible with menstrual materials. Need for creating awareness and identify the risk associated with various methods of handling M Integrating MHM with TS, waste management with innovations, helping affordability, accessibility, performing and disposable.
Affordability
Comparable with MNC makes in terms of Price, quality, reaching the unreached Without synthetic materials No plastic based top layers Rs. 2 for regular and for wings it is 2. 60 which is Rs. 3 and Rs. 7.25 respectively SHG makes are in Schools in vending machines Given along with promoting idea of MHM and health impacts not just as a product or commodity
Performance
SHG members are trained to produce napkins with complete input of anatomy, health issues to poor MHM, causing cervical cancer, the use of napkins and detection of uterus infections thorugh the colour of the white discharge, etc. All SHG makes are either cotton or wood pulp, easily degradable, no side effects, prepared scientifically suiting to average flow for a fixed duration telling to change the napkins at least after four to five hours Long hours and good absorbency do not mean good quality as there is a chance of bacterial infection All SHG makes are sterilized, but yet to standarized, which will shortly be done in collaboration with TVS Electronics Chennai
Cont.
MNC Makes are not certified under BIS Several SHG makes are certified under Indian Standards MNC makes mainly gain through advertisement, and the design is to suit no movement of inside material, they are auto produced not sterilsed All brands stay free, whisper, kortex produced in abroad and packing is in India, likelihood of contamination They are for selling product, not MHM, for profit, not for focusing on improving health. More of social Marketing
Cont.
Limited reach Different types, no standardization Competition Low cost but not attractive packing Lack of professionalism in selling adopting corporate strategy Small scale production, increase in raw material cost lead to closing of production. No standard training. Hand made and not sterilized and less credibility But still many SHG produce, successful in marketing and earn comfortable income.
Easiness of Disposal
All natural materials including fusing paper, cotton, wood pulp and easy to dispose Country method of small rat trap size cage to burn or bury under ground Low cost concrete incinerator in Schools Electronic Incinerator for Corporate or offices Highly degradable but has to be disposed fully to address the blockage etc. In built in every toilet to change the napkins and also dispose off Rs. 1500 costed concrete incinerators at Krishnagiri constructed by UNICEF in schools
Challenges
No awareness on various SHG makes Perception as poor quality and not hygienic Hike in prices of raw materials and failure and discontinuity Spending on napkins not recognised as necessity Demand constraints Lack of supply chain management lack of availability of all the materials needed.
Cont.
SHG makes need to prove producing cost effective napkins and supply at lower price Quality in par or more than the MNC makes Ensuring and Enhancing effective and sustainable market challenges of increasing cost of inputs and unable to cope up with Failed to go for bulk purchase of Raw Material and Production to minimize cost Could not tell loudly use of Harmless raw materials Failure to identify low cost substitute raw materials in case of hike in cotton price Safe disposal methods to facilitate the women and girls
Disadvantages
absorbency high not a guarantee of quality Petrochemical materials and other heat inducing materials Tampons are used which often has self life exceeded. Fully gel pad used manufactured napkins Recent budget hiked excise duty for packed items, and MNC made napkins are exempted as they are not packed. Never tested for Indian requirements, it is produced and taken as it is.
Disadvantages
Human made and unless it is produced under hygienic conditions, it is risky Absorbency, and thin pads with gel pads cause itching, Releasing sheet is absent Absorbency for more than five ours, spills out An average of 20 ml to 30ml and tested and given, if it is not sustaining, long hours Cost increase of one materials, change the material ratio may cause itches, irritation etc.
Given the poor quality of the products available for the poor how to develop this market from supply side [how to improve the products and how to encourage from demand side]
How to develop this market from supply side [given the poor quality] There is a prejudice and wrong perception MNCs are standard and SHG makes are poor quality Necessary to prove they are standard Corporate strategy needs to be applied in making it professional, hygienic production conditions, with the PPP Networking of NGOs, SHGs and help in standardization, share the technology,market, and other innovations for the social cause The cost hike should be managed by substituting materials rather than increasing the price Feed back from the customers and implementing the same Seeking innovative methods of marketing through the SHGs Attractive packing and mainstreaming the SHG made to be sold in the market.
Demand Side
Accommodating the requirements of absorbency, no spills, no chemical applications etc Selling the idea of MHM rather than napkins to increase the demand. Sharing of case studies after using napkins their experience Comparison of MNC and SHG made napkins and customers feed back Free sample distribution. Reduce the cost of napkins and supply at an affordable price getting subsidized price through CSR of cotton producing companies. Make the sanitary napkins accessible through vending machines, and at lower prices, smaller packets with single or double or at the most three napkins for Rs. 5 Single pad with proper packing without giving scope for doubts of quality comitment to promote women by buying the SHG makes.
Comparing quality with the standard products of MNC Makes available in the Market
MNC makes not certified to Indian Standards [BIS], Kortex, Stay free, care free, wishper No company produces in India, except Bella J &J, P&G, etc. Production centres are in US and Packing is done in India, likelihood of contamination as only rough package while transporting and it is being dumped in India India has the production capability could be produced and avoid contamination Content is not informed in the packages
Way forward
Making the school students to get involved in the process of maintenance of sanitation which in the long term sustainability Teach the students on personal hygiene and cleanliness practices on MHM to girls, girl friendly toilets with sufficient infrastructure required to safe disposal of napkins. Rural areas should be free from open defection and hygienic practices of handling Menstruation by following NGP Awarded villages.
Production Capacity
4500 pads/per day Marketing with DSMS, local clinics, other districts DSMS Peer SHG members Through PLF, BLF in monthly meetings Employment generation: 3-15 SHG members in sanitary napkin during single shift production 4000 human days generated Comparable with rural women employment earlier Income: Rs. 75 per day which comes to Rs. 1800 on an average
Social Impact
Adopt to Hygienic practices [use of napkins due to low cost SN availability Increased Confidence and self esteem among adolescent girls Improvement in personal hygiene and health status Fall in girl child dropout in middle school [the school going adolescent girls reportedly drop out from schools due to inconvenience during periods
TVS electronics was the pioneer to intervene in Sanitation promotion in TN Continuous involvement in sanitation revealed one serious issue- womens hygiene MH was taken as a third component in Total sanitation Education and awareness made Akshaya SHG production unit set up with tripariate contribution of 80% from TVS, 15% from govt and 5% from SHG women.
Supportive Organizations
UNICEF Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation SHG women Female Hygiene Network Corporates producing Sanitary Napkin vending machines.
WEAT identified Sanitary Napkin production as a Social project Trains SHGs, women in micro enterprises and produce low cost cotton based napkins Market in slums, schools, colleges, Collector office and other offices, National Institute of Technology, and offers training regularly to those who are interested. Installed vending machine and incinerator in certain colleges, District collector office of Tiruchirapalli etc District Collector, and DRDA allotted two shops in the Rural Mart Campus to train and also produce napkins. Ms. Sathivani was awarded best micro entrepreneur
Cont.
Two varieties Extra Large for maternal use, and normal stickers model for regular Producing 2000 packets [10 pads each] per month Four SHG members involved in production 785 SHG members from all over India trained 2008 helped to establish three production units with the support of DST, Uttarkhand, Kodaikanal, & North East Region
Contact Details
Ms. Revathy Director Extension Department & Mr. Krishnaswamy Project Executive Gandhigram Trust Dindigual 624 312 Mobile: 099940 58433 E-mail: ggmtrust@sify.com
Marketing Strategy
Marketing and Selling SHG Team formed to market the napkins 757 villages, 125 women SHG members are involved in production Profitable enterprise and sustaining also Every week end there will be a market where all the products of SHG members be brought and sold, inculcated the habit of SHG to buy SHG made products. Regular demand and order Initially single piece folded in paper to schools, which attracted very much It is made available in three napkin packets to8 pads Like milk packet, the women buy the napkins and go.
Problems
During Awareness Campaigns In production In forming the Network Ms. Shantha Sheela Nayar, the then Secretary to Health guided. Many had uterus surgery in villages and WOMAN engaged in that time. It is claimed that it is economic, eco friendly, easy to dispose, has 127300 customers as per the latest data, from four districts around Pudukottai Invited by UNICEF, SACOSAN, Bharathidasan University, District Collectors, IAS officers, Rotarians from US etc.
Contact Details for MHMC Awareness Programmes and Sanitary Napkin Production.
Department of Womens Studies Bharathidasan University Khajamalai Campus Tiruchirapalli-23 nmanimekalai@gmail.com 0431-2420357, 2420627 and other NGOs mentioned above
Comparing quality with the standard products of MNC Makes available in the Market
MNC makes not certified to Indian Standards [BIS], Kortex, Stay free, care free, wishper No company produces in India, except Bella J &J, P&G, etc. Production centres are in US and Packing is done in India, likelihood of contamination as only rough package while transporting and it is being dumped in India India has the production capability could be produced and avoid contamination Content is not informed in the packages
Disadvantages
Human made and unless it is produced under hygienic conditions, it is risky Absorbency, and thin pads with gel pads cause itching, Releasing sheet is absent Absorbency for more than five ours, spills out An average of 20 ml to 30ml and tested and given, if it is not sustaining, long hours Cost increase of one materials, change the material ratio may cause itches, irritation etc.
Given the poor quality of the products available for the poor how to develop this market from supply side [how to improve the products and how to encourage from demand side]
How to develop this market from supply side [given the poor quality] There is a prejudice and wrong perception MNCs are standard and SHG makes are poor quality Necessary to prove they are standard Corporate strategy needs to be applied in making it professional, hygienic production conditions, with the PPP Networking of NGOs, SHGs and help in standardization, share the technology,market, and other innovations for the social cause The cost hike should be managed by substituting materials rather than increasing the price Feed back from the customers and implementing the same Seeking innovative methods of marketing through the SHGs Attractive packing and mainstreaming the SHG made to be sold in the market.
Demand Side
Accommodating the requirements of absorbency, no spills, no chemical applications etc Selling the idea of MHM rather than napkins to increase the demand. Sharing of case studies after using napkins their experience Comparison of MNC and SHG made napkins and customers feed back Free sample distribution. Reduce the cost of napkins and supply at an affordable price getting subsidized price through CSR of cotton producing companies. Make the sanitary napkins accessible through vending machines, and at lower prices, smaller packets with single or double or at the most three napkins for Rs. 5 Single pad with proper packing without giving scope for doubts of quality comitment to promote women by buying the SHG makes.