Richa Singh is the Chief Executive Officer of Niine Sanitary Napkins. She is now trying to reach out to deprived women in the state through her firm which is dedicated to provide sanitary napkins to women to ensure proper hygiene. In her interview with Orissa POST, she speaks out on the issue. Excerpts from the interview:
What is the extent of usage of sanitary pads in Odisha now?
Richa: Recent surveys claim that while in the country only 18 per cent women opt for sanitary napkins during menstruation, the state of affairs in Odisha is more worrisome. In Odisha, as per the latest available survey reports, not more than 12 per cent use sanitary napkins during periods.
What reasons you think have kept the percentage level so low?
Richa: There are a lot of issues that ail women, the major one being acceptance from women themselves. Rampant use of other non-safe options due to lack of information, lack of availability and awareness in remote tribal locations and the taboo attached to menstruation— many feel napkins are ‘impure’— are the major reasons why few women use sanitary napkins.
Do you think films like ‘Padman’ and others have been able to change the mindset of the people?
Richa: Yes, such films have made some difference. Mindsets have changed mostly in men— be it brothers, husbands and fathers of the women. Many of them have now understood the importance of safe periods. Now, they are the ones who buy the products from the market. However, when we go for social outreach programmes, many women are still reluctant to even accept free pads. The social stigma is still so strong.
Your firm is likely to see competition from the popular commercial players and also from cheap government-made pads. How do you plan to tackle that?
Richa: Popular commercial sanitary pads are yet to reach the rural pockets and tribal areas where women are still into unhygienic practices. We are trying to the reach out to the deprived population to ensure more number of women come on board and adopt the safe practice of using sanitary napkins during periods.
How you ensure quality of your sanitary pads?
Richa: We use imported pulps and body friendly components to ensure highest standard. We also do proper quality checks with latest available technologies for that.
