THE PED
Women Empowerment and Health
LIFE RAY FOUNDATION
Abstract:
Menstrual hygiene continuous to be amongst the most challenging
development issues today. Not only do deep-rooted taboos, myths and misinformation
create the illusion that menstruation is inherently shameful, gross and weird, but in
countries like India, women often lack access to hygienic sanitary materials and basic
facilities.
“Sanitary Protection: Every Women’s Health Right”
A study by AC Nielson reveals only 12% of India’s out of 355 million uses
sanitary napkins. Over 88% of women resort to shocking alternatives like sanitized
cloth, ashes, and husk sand. Incidents of Reproductive Track Infection (RTI) are more
common among these women. The biggest barrier to use sanitary napkins is
affordability. This tells the immense entrepreneurial opportunities in the segment. The
only way to reduce this is reduction in cost of production. Percentage of girls
remaining unaware of menstrual hygiene practices India states are shown below.
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LIFE RAY FOUNDATION
India is the 3rd least country where unemployed women rate is high. Only 27%
women are employed
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LIFE RAY FOUNDATION
What is this project all about?
This project can create a vast change in women’s health and also creates
opportunities for women to become successful entrepreneurs. According to the survey,
rural people does not use sanitary napkins due to their affordability. Since sanitary
napkins costs high, they are using cloths, ashes, husk sand etc.
Dr. Arunachalam Muruganantham called as menstrual man realized the
problem and after his courageous research, he devised a low – cost machine that could
be operated with minimal training.
He sourced the processed pine wood pulp from a supplier in Mumbai and the
machine would grind, de-fibrate, press and sterilize the pads under UV before
packaging them for sale. The machine costs 65000 Rs (USD $910).
He was awarded Grassroots Technological Innovations award from National
Innovation Foundation.
Taking Arunachalam Muruganantham’s findings as a source in this project we
are going to introduce this machine in the rural areas through self - help groups (as a
partner) run by women. This machine creates jobs and income for many women and
affordable pads enable many more women to earn their livelihood during
menstruation. This can create a greatest impact on behalf of women entrepreneurship.
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LIFE RAY FOUNDATION
Implementation Strategies:
1. Team Selection
Executive
Team
Marketing
&
Sales Team
Tracking
Team
Public
Rural
women
self-help
groups
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2. Budget
Budget
Requested
(1 Crore)
Budget
Required
(Negotiable)
3. Requirements for the project
1.) Sanitary napkin making machine
2.) Raw materials
3.) Work space
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4. Pros Analysis
1.) Work opportunity for women
2.) Increased usage of napkins in
rural areas
3.) Napkin usage prohibits infection
and other health disorders in
women
4.)Creates confidence and motivates
other women to become a
successful entrepreneur.
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LIFE RAY FOUNDATION
Project Execution:
In the beginning choose any five rural areas
Visit the areas, get support from area counselor or tahsildar
Make awareness and motivation programmes for rural women
Arrange for rural meeting like self-help groups to create awareness about
sanitary napkins usage and let them know about the employment factor
under this project and the document deeds
Document deeds consists of agreement where in 40% of the amount for
the machine and raw materials will be bare by SHG’s and the remaining
60% will be bared by our foundation
If the SHG’s are not capable of baring the amount there is a government
scheme which provides loan for small scale business activities
Choose a work space and with the support of SHG launch the sanitary
napkin machine in it
Manufacturing unit must have a minimum requirement of 14 members
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The selected SHG’s will be given one day training to operate the machine
From the next day SHG’s can work on manufacturing napkins
Manufacturing Process:
Raw material purchase and preproduction
Manufacturing napkins
Quality check
Packing
Sales (Individually or through sales person)
Sales tracking
Result analysis & Tracking
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LIFE RAY FOUNDATION
List
30 Days
60 Days
90 Days
SHG
5
10
15
Members
(women)
14
140
210
Machine
SHG
130000
SHG
260000
SHG –
390000
Life Ray
195000
Life Ray
390000
Life Ray 585000
Raw Materials
Negotiable
Negotiable
Negotiable
Napkins
Manufacturing /
Month
150000
300000
450000
Sales Per
Napkin = 1Rs
150000
300000
450000
Women Using
Napkin
25%
30%
50%
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LIFE RAY FOUNDATION
After project execution the napkin usage and women employment rate eventually
increase.
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LIFE RAY FOUNDATION
Project Conclusion:
There by the fund collected by selling the sanitary napkins will be shared as per
the investment done. 40% of the fund will be given to the SHG’s and 60% will be
taken by the foundation there by the taken amount will be used for further project
development.
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LIFE RAY FOUNDATION