Ensuring Menstrual hygiene for Thousands of Rural Girls via Sanitary Health Campaign and sanitary pads distribution.
Clean. Confident. Unapologetically Her.
When Periods Become a Prison
In rural India, menstruation is surrounded by myths, stigma, and silence. And in this silence, young girls suffer.
Here’s what most of them face:
No access to sanitary pads, they use old cloth, ash, husk, or paper
Fear and shame around discussing menstruation, even with mothers
Girls drop out of school during periods or permanently
Infections and reproductive health issues rise due to poor hygiene
Lack of safe disposal options or clean toilets adds to health risks
And behind all this is one cruel truth: they believe this is normal.
Because no one ever told them it doesn’t have to be this way.
Health in Her Hands
Ruma Devi Foundation launched the Sanitary Pad Distribution Drive as a two-fold campaign:
1. Distribute pads.
2. Disrupt the shame.
Key features of the movement:
Distributed free sanitary pads to rural adolescent girls and women in Barmer, Balotra, Tilwara, and over 60+ remote settlements
Conducted awareness sessions in schools and communities, busting myths around periods and hygiene
Partnered with female doctors and trained volunteers to address menstrual health in local dialects
Taught girls how to use, store, and dispose sanitary pads safely and confidently
Special outreach in marginalized communities where menstruation is seen as impure or polluting
These sessions didn’t whisper about periods.
They spoke openly in classrooms, anganwadis, and panchayat halls turning menstruation into a matter of health, not shame.
From Hiding to Holding Their Heads High
The impact of the drive has rippled across villages, schools, and families:
Thousands of rural girls received pads for the first time in their lives
Dropouts reduced in many schools, especially during exams and monthly attendance
Girls now talk about periods confidently with peers, teachers, and even at home
Mothers joined awareness sessions and learned better hygiene practices themselves
Many women said, “We suffered. But our daughters won’t have to.”
Taboos started breaking one session, one girl, one smile at a time
In these communities, a pad became more than a product.
It became a symbol of dignity, agency, and self-worth.
And for every girl who walks to school without fear, we know
a silent revolution is unfolding in red and resilience.
