Earlier this year, we introduced you to Hiya, Banerjee, who is the co-founder of Onpery®. Onpery® have designed a menstrual cup for menstruators who have an average to low cervix. According to Bone Science, South Asians and South-East Asians tend to be the shortest with women having a mean height of 153 cm and men of 165 cm. This means that menstruators from the regions of South Asia and South-East Asia have varying anatomies. This is applicable to usage of menstrual cups as well because many may find it uncomfortable or painful to use. There are no other menstrual cups in the market that specifically address the concerns of menstruators with an average to low cervix.
RISE by Sundara has partnered with Hiya's team to support 407 financially underprivileged women to receive menstrual cups. Onpery® distributed products to women living in slums and villages in:
Siliguri, West Bengal: 162
Kalyan, Mumbai, Maharashtra: 130
Lukiya Village, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand: 78
Jorakath Village, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand: 24
Naya Toli, Ranchi, Jharkhand: 13
Prior to the distribution, many of the women reported that they used rags to manage their periods and frequently suffered from rashes and infections. Some of the women living in the slums were able to access disposable pads, however, they did not have an appropriate place to dispose of them, so they would usually throw their used sanitary towels in a nearby water source, or bury them in-ground.
Menstrual cups are a great solution for communities who have limited access to soap and clean water, as they are easier to clean (boil in a pan), which is preferable for women who do not have a private water source. This will support the women to prevent infection and save up to ~5500 INR (69 USD) which can be put towards other essential needs.
Learn more about how we are working with Hiya and her team to tackle period poverty here.
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