The business of menstruation in India

Abstract

Let’s start this introduction not in India, but in France. There, the products of menstrual protections is growing wider and is becoming increasingly diverse. If women are afraid of the health impact of tampons, they can go for organic materials, elaborated sanitary pads, or cups. If they worry about the environmental impact, they can choose menstrual panties. Whatever their worry with menstruation is, solutions are flourishing, and there is much to choose from Watching 2018 Netflix’s documentary “Period. End of Sentence” was, in the eyes of western women, quite shocking, and it motivated us to drive a research work on that matter. Contrast France with India. Indeed in India, most women don’t have to choose between tampons or pads, because in 2015, only 12% of them had access to any adequate period protection. Most women seemed to use old rags. Last but not least, these women have been told since their youngest age that menstruation was dirty and impure, and that they shouldn’t frequent public places such as temples, or even engage in cooking, when menstruating. This situation impacts these women’s health, education, and productivity at work. And as there are around 355 million menstruating women in India, such inequalities make a huge difference.