According to the National Family and Health Survey, 42 percent of women in India in the age group of 15–24 years do not use a hygienic method to deal with menstruation. In Gadchiroli district, the very traditional tribal women may use strips made of Mahua leaves covered with paddy chaff as sanitary napkins while others use old pieces of cloth. Disposable sanitary napkins are inaccessible due to the pricing, and lack of disposable methods.

Cloth washable sanitary napkins are safe, hygienic, environmentally friendly alternatives made of cotton flannel with a thin layer of leak proofing PUL (Polyurethane Laminate Fabric, a soft, flexible, hard wearing and waterproof fabric) on the bottom layer to ensure minimum leakage.When cloth sanitary napkins are washed well, dried in direct sunlight and stored properly, they are perfectly hygienic.

Advantages of reusable washable Sanitary Napkins

· Reduce the monthly cost that a woman spends on menstrual products,

· Impact the environment positively, and

· When crafted by women, provide women with flexible timings to generate employment and income.

Skilling Initiative at Mohali Village, Gadchiroli:

KSWA Yuva Parivartan (YP) has been working in Mohali village, Gadchiroli from 2019. Being a skilling and livelihood organization, YP organized a one month basic tailoring course for three batches of 25 women each.

This was followed by specialized training with a focus on crafting reusable washable sanitary napkins by designer Shital Puri from NIFT,Delhi and her associate Sanjeev Jain from Samvad Sustainable Solution Pvt.Ltd.

Post training, 14 women from Mohali village, Gadchiroli have come together and formed a SHG called Navjivan Mahila Bachat Gatto take this initiative as a livelihood. Mrs Premila Kapadia supported the SHG with seed money to craft 5700 reusable washable cloth sanitary napkins.

As part of this initiative, women are

· Educated on menstrual health and hygiene,

· Taught how to handcraft sanitary napkins,

· Taught how to use and care for the reusable washable sanitary napkins, and

· Gifted a set of ten reusable washable sanitary napkins.

The initiative is currently covering 570 women utilizing Safe Resting Learning Skilling Homes during their menstruation in 10 villages in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra and one village in Rajnandgaon district, Chhattisgarh.

Each sanitary napkin is checked for quality before packing for distribution by YP’s women social worker team. All the women social workers are trained in Basic Tailoring, and one social worker is an approved Trainer under The Apparel made up and Home Furnishing Sector Skill Council through the Training Provider — Hardsoft Information Systems Pvt. Ltd.. Each set of ten sanitary napkins gifted to a woman is uniquely numbered to avoid a mix up amongst women when in The Safe Resting Learning Skilling Homes. The women recipients are counselled individually too.

Along with each set of uniquely numbered sanitary napkins gifted to a woman is a note on menstruation and reusable washable sanitary napkins. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, YP has taken the opportunity to cover the do’s and don’t’s to prevent contracting COVID-19 in the note.

The women of Navjivan Mahila Bachat Gattake take 30 minutes to stitch one sanitary napkin. Each woman stitches 10 napkins per day and earns Rs 20.00 per napkin. So far the members of Navjivan Mahila Bachat Gat have stitched 1250 sanitary napkins earning Rs 25,000.00. These 1250 sanitary napkins have been distributed to women in two villages.