27 Crore pads in the form of menstrual waste is being generated every year by the women in Delhi.

Access to sustainable and affordable menstrual products is a privilege in India. Even though there are inclusion of multiple Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) facilities in the Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines (SBM-G), nonetheless the implementation of the policies even in the urban areas of the capital city Delhi is abysmal.

I was aghast to know that the very first pad that I used when I got my first period at the age of 13 is going to be on the planet for 800 years! Having started my journey on living a sustainable lifestyle, I could not bear the fact that I was creating 130+ kg of plastic waste in my lifetime only through single use sanitary pads. Two years back, I had the choice, information and support to make the shift to an eco-friendly period product, which is not only a healthy option for me but also for the planet. 

Then, shouldn't every menstruator deserve the right to a healthy and clean period?

According to a report by WaterAid, there are 336 million menstruating women in India and only 121 million (36%) of them use sanitary pads.

121 million x 8 pads/cycle = 1 billion pads/ month = 12 billion pads/year

If I draw mathematical similarities to Delhi, the population of women is around 78 lakhs (Census 2011) and assuming only 36% have access to sanitary pads the number will be 2,808,000.

2,808,000 x 8 pads/cycle x 12 months = 269,568,000 (~ 27 Crore Pads)

27 Crore pads in the form of menstrual waste is being generated annually by the women Delhi. (This is an approximation and the number can be significantly higher, also doesn't include other genders who menstruate)

HEALTH CHALLENGE - The Menstrual Health Management policy guidelines under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) also mention only sanitary napkin vending machines, which are technically health hazard for both adolescent girls and women since they are made of 90% plastic. Sanitary napkins contain banned toxic carcinogenic compounds which leads to diseases like UTIs, STIs and cervical cancer.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE - They are not only harmful for the menstruators, but also contribute the immense menstrual waste which end up in landfills like Ghazipur. A sanitary pad takes around 500-800 years to decompose, posing severe threat to the environment and future generations. There is a Menstrual Health Alliance India report that mentions, how 45% of menstrual waste often ends up with the general household waste and increased burden of Solid Waste Management by the administration.

I was content with conducting workshops with few groups of people on sustainable menstruation when I heard about the municipality of Kerala that was distributing menstrual cups to women for free. They have committed to reaching 5000 women and their entire female population to curb the menace of menstrual waste creation and management.

I am writing this letter to request the Chief Minister of Delhi and the Chairperson of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party to voice the issue and take relevant actions regarding;

1. Urgently begin distribution of sustainable menstrual products like reusable cloth pads and menstrual cups in challenging/vulnerable communities across Delhi that are struggling with access to sanitation supplies, preferable by September 2020. (The petition has been edited to include this because of the urgency created by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown)

2. Initiating the creation of a minimum of 10 Pink Toilets, with affordable facilities for sustainable menstrual products like reusable cloth pads and menstrual cups across the Delhi Municipality by March 2021.

3. Initiating access to affordable sustainable menstrual products in existing public toilets across Delhi municipalities by December 2020. 

4. Initiation of Training and Capacity building sessions at the municipality and school level to create awareness regarding sustainable MHM practices by May 2021 (Menstrual Hygiene Month)

If Delhi can create Pink Toilets with all provisions under the Swachh Bharath Mission while also including affordable access to Sustainable Menstrual Products (Reusable Cloth Pads and Menstrual Cups) it will;

- Become the first ever City in India to take this initiative

- Directly impact the health and hygiene of 78 Lakh+ women and adolescent girls in Delhi in a positive way

- Contribute to less waste creation and in turn reduced waste management by the municipality, especially with the increasing challenge of managing the multiple landfills across Delhi

- Lead to better scorecard during the Swachh Survekshan League 2020 (Q3: October-December)

- Inspire best practices for other municipalities and states to replicate across the country

I have switched to menstrual cup in 2018 and have also shared my journey on platforms like Medium and The Logical Indian. I am also working on projects related to creating awareness on sustainable menstruation with youth groups across Delhi NCR and the need of making the switch for better health for self and the environment. 

Please support me in this journey of making access to affordable sustainable menstrual products a reality for all womxn; starting with Delhi. 

You can follow my menstruation campaigns on The Bloody Feminist on Facebook and Instagram where I share stories, information and news pertaining to the campaign. 

Thanks and Regards,

Nitisha

Image - Clicked during a field trip and with consent of the members in the picture