Your period doesn't have to be taboo; ask 21-year-old environment lover Rushali Khilrani. At the Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women, she runs an initiative called Menorganic. She manages a team of 50 women. Her venture promotes eco-friendly menstrual cups, biodegradable sanitary pads, reusable period underpants, and cloth pads. Being in an all-girls college has not limited her endeavour to spread awareness among women.
Inspired by their goals, Rushali's team has leaped to make sanitary products readily available to their demographic. After testing and trying the products and comprehensive market research, they are now being sold via social media. Menorganic workshops and online campaigns have garnered much support on university campuses. More women are now using menstrual cups. Men have also come forward to purchase these items for their mothers, partners and sisters.
The issue of environmental conservation is the prime focus; Rushali explains that "Menstrual cups are made of medical-grade silicon. Given the fact that they last for five to eight years, you are reducing the amount of plastic that goes into the environment." Conventional sanitary pads are made of ninety per cent plastic and, if not appropriately wrapped while disposing, they can damage the health of rag pickers. "The pads also eventually end up in a landfill and are often consumed by stray animals. Each pad can take five to eight hundred years to decompose," she stresses.
Rushali has volunteered to shape our future through her initiative. She is aiming ahead and has decided to make sustainability a part of all our lives. The planet is lucky to have such young visionaries with altruistic ambitions like Rushali.