In the time we’ve been here, Dave and I have grown close to an organization called the Pardada Pardadi School for girls. On their behalf, we’re launching a fundraiser called Rags-to-Pads.
Pardada Pardadi is located in an area of Uttar Pradesh so poor that many women can’t afford pads during their period. So they typically use rags torn off old saris to staunch their flow — a practice that risks terrible infection every period from puberty to menopause.
We are raising $5000 to help Pardada Pardadi buy a machine that makes sanitary pads and support two of the school’s graduates as they start a pad-making business. The goal is to create a self-sustaining business that sells pads at around 25 rupees for packs of ten — simultaneously bringing an affordable and sanitary option to women on their periods while creating economic opportunities for women in an area that has next to none.
If 125 people donate $40 each (about what an American woman will spend on pads every year), we can make this happen. Once we reach $5,000, we’ll stop collecting money — this isn’t a charity, this is a donation of seed capital.
Learn more and donate at RagsToPads.com. Please help us spread the word! You can also see pics from our trip to Pardada Pardadi on Flickr.
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Jenny
Thanks for your mail. I looked on the website and have some unanswered questions.
What raw materials are being used? In the absence of an answer to this, I wonder what is going to happen with disposal and recycling of used sanitary pads. If not recyclable, then landfill. If recyclable, then in order that the same problems as these pads are meant to eliminate do not recur, it has to be done professionally. Where is that value chain?
The reason why I ask these is that if one is doing something afresh, at least we do not have to repeat the mistakes that lend themselves to environmentally unfriendly products as in the west..
Also because the sanitation systems and waste disposal systems in rural India are far from perfect, these may well land in the landfill or worse, open rubbish tips. The public health issues arising would affect far more people than just the women..
I am all for ventures-for-serving-women and will donate. But this is one area that is an essential evil yet nobody has come up with the ‘green’ solutions that are the need of the hour.
Shefaly, that’s a good question. Renuka from PP told us they would use “eco-friendly” materials. I’m not sure what that specifically means. We’ve asked her to come on this site and leave a comment that elaborates, so we’ll have an answer soon.
This a good project. I’ll be donating.
Congrats u guys.
one question: I’m not sure rural indian women can afford to pay Rs.25 for a pack of 10 pads. Especially a family’s income can be less than a Rs.1000 in many parts. I’m only experienced in humanitarian work in South India/Sri Lanka…maybe it’s slightly different economically in Uttar Pradesh?
This is a great idea. It’s an important problem and something that is often neglected. Like Shefaly, I have the same concern about disposal. Having seen the consequences of lack of trash collection and the general waste disposal problems in India – in both large cities and the small villages – I would be very concerned about adding to those problems.
Without presuming your orientation to the problem, I have to wonder if this is similar to the concern that many westerners have about using cloth diapers / nappies for babies. I grew up in a wealthy western country where their use is common but have been surprised by Americans who are shocked to hear that the vast majority of babies are diapered with cloth rather than disposables.
It’s not a problem that women use cloth when they have their period. It’s actually a good thing. It’s not as unsanitary as some folk would have us believe. If only more westerners understood that all those ‘disposable’ sanitary napkins etc aren’t actually disposable … or at least they take a long time to break down in a landfill somewhere. And they were made using products that pollute the environment …. often the environments surrounding factories in poor countries.
But you are right, this is an important issue and it would be good to help. Perhaps you could consider a local solution. For instance, there are designs out there for recyclable sanitary napkins. If you google the term you will come across lots of products for sale as well as patterns. (I just googled Washable Reusable Menstrual Pads and came up with several links.) Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to have locals making and using well designed napkins?
Shefaly,
I spoke to Renuka from PPES about your questions:
What raw materials are being used?
No plastic, only wood pulp and cotton gauze.
I wonder – what is going to happen with disposal and recycling of used sanitary pads?
These pads are not recyclable because the women cannot hygienically clean them after use (nor could you in the US without significant effort, I imagine). Once they are used, the girls will throw them away wherever they throw away all garbage (usually off in a couple random areas in a village) or they can bury them. I’m not sure this actually poses a health risk to the community, though it’s certainly not ideal.
I don’t think the waste management infrastructure is well developed in India, but at least these are biodegradable – unlike the ones currently for sale in the markets which have plastic in them.
By the way, the girls at the school will get training on the proper use of the pads. They will learn about the infections they can get if they used rags and if they reuse the pads they buy.
Tanya,
The pads would be made locally – at the Pardada Pardadi school and by graduates of the school.
Dugi, Uttar Pradesh is one of the poorest and most populous states in India, so I’m sure price is a concern.
We wonder about affordabilty as well, but the people at PP believe this will be accessible to the girls going to the school. They are involved with the community, so we trust their judgment.
Jenny and Dave,
I appreciate your interest in this but there are a lot more questions to ask.
Just to start … Where is the wood pulp from? Hopefully they are pulping paper from other sources but that is not often the case. What chemicals are used for reducing the product to pulp and then to get it into pad form? Where are the chemicals and other effluent disposed of?
Just to be clear, recyclable pads are made of various types of cloth. Cotton can work really well … and there is quite a lot of organically produced cotton produced within India. Furthermore, the textile manufacturing and assembly skills are there.
I have to reiterate that the lack of waste disposal infrastructure just about everywhere in India really means that no one can just presume that products disappear. Walk around any village and that is very, very clear.
It’s worth taking a look at this post: http://myzerowaste.com/articles/personal/reusable-sanitary-protection/
Re trusting the judgment of the PP school: that makes sense. Local knowledge is a great thing.
But, something is not clear in this proposal. The school specializes in teaching and producing textiles products. Why not continue to use those skills. Furthermore, the school is about teaching self reliance. The great thing about using cloth is that women only have to get new items every year or so. Paper napkins are not like that … they build a greater reliance upon producers / sellers.
Without getting into the specifics of it all, I wonder if the problem with the current use of cloth stems from the specific ways that they are used and the lack of sufficient (and well designed) cloths. The use of the term ‘rag’ rather than ‘cloth’ is somewhat indicative. Why not work within the current understanding of local women (i.e. using a low cost and recyclable product) but facilitate distribution of better products and educate locals on better use (e.g. more frequent changing and sanitary washing methods)?
Tanya, lots of good points. I will be forwarding on to Renuka. And thanks for the link. I’ll definitely check it out!
“Why not work within the current understanding of local women (i.e. using a low cost and recyclable product)”
The local women normally tear off a bit of cloth (like from an old sari) and stuff it up inside them. They then throw it away – so it’s not a recyclable product.
But in evaluating this project, keep things in perspective. The negative impact of disposable pads is far outweighed by the positive impact on health and happiness. If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection, you know how serious this is. Now imagine being in a village with little-to-no access to antibiotics while your urethra is burning and the infection is marching up towards your kidneys. If disposable pads can help hundreds or thousands of women have a healthy and sanitary period, it may be worth the sacrifice of wood pulp and gauze.
We’re sure there are other ways to solve this problem. But if we can bring relief now, let’s do it, while laying the groundwork for future improvements.
This same problem exists in africa and many parts of the third world.
The government should provide these pads for free in the same way that they are now providing free condoms.
What did women use before sanitary pads were invented?
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Wow, I wasn’t expecting such critical comments when I clicked on the comments link!
Although I agree that any solution should take environmental factors into account, one could certainly argue that these pads are “better for the environment” than anything you can buy in the West!
In addition the environmental footprint of these women is tiny to begin with (compared to the average westerner). I’d hazard a guess that the people questioning this put out more carbon emissions and solid waste in a month than many of these women do in a year. The benefits of the pads would seem to trump the minimal eco-footprint addition. Not to mention the fact that bloody rags are already going into the waste system, this just replaces them with a healthier for the woman option.
Reusable pads are great, if you have clean water to wash them in… but these women don’t. Unless another entrepreneur wants to come in and create a system to sterilize reusable pads (that these women can afford) disposable pads would seem the only way to go.
The alternative ideas are great, but in the end it comes down to economics- if they add too much (or any) cost, it kills the entire deal and doesn’t help anyone.
No solution is perfect, but I think the one presented here is the best one for all involved, for now. Perhaps in the future, a better solution could be put in place, but right now it would seem the priority is health for these women.
ke- giving away free pads instead of condoms just isn’t going to happen in male dominated cultures (like India) … at least anytime soon. Marketplace solutions like this are part of the solution… one that might just shame local officials into doing something about this on a larger scale.
My guess would be rags
Nick:
If they are giving away free pads in African countries, which too are male dominated, they can do it in India.
Nick:
“I’d hazard a guess that the people questioning this put out more carbon emissions and solid waste in a month than many of these women do in a year. ”
It would be great if you did not draw conclusions based on conjecture
Periods are not what P&G would have you believe – happy!
Most of us (women) have raised questions here because we grew up in India and are aware of the sanitation and rubbish collection systems (or more accurately, the lack thereof).
There is the legitimate concern of toxic shock syndrome if the materials used are not non-toxic in every way.
There is also the societal considerations of being a woman in Uttar Pradesh the complexities of which deserve a whole book, not just a comment!
I would also say that to assume that the ‘rags’ solution is somehow all-round awful is a bit presumptious too.
Thanks.
A few things first about how it works in some parts if India at least:
1. The cloth is not stuffed inside the woman. It is actually worn like a langoti and the closest lookalike is actually a thong/bikini bottom. First a belt is tied around the waist and then the cloth is secured to that belt – like the old Carefree belted pads.
2. The cloth is a very soft material and washed with soap and dried to be reused. Old saris are GREAT because they are soft and super absorbent. This makes the used cloth reusable and also the old sari gets recycled . Nothing is discarded, even the sari gets a rebirth
3. The major problem is with chafing and can cause skin to break and rash if the cloth is rough.
I can see why Nick would be so angry but buying water to wash the used cloth will always be cheaper than buying these pads for many poor women.
Now for the good news. This pad idea is good but there is another pad design that is even better. This is a truly beneficial idea for women who can’t keep buying new pads. It has many varying designs too.
http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sanitarypads.htm
There are other designs too which may be taught to the girls in sewing class.
So while you may approach with good intention please do see what the consequences of your actions can mean for the people. The blog supported an idea without even knowing the extra burden it would put on women who now have to spend money every month on this new invention.
The girls learning to sew is an excellent idea and they should def be taught to make and sell washable pads instead of this disposable ones imo. Hope PP will reconsider the alternative designs that are available freely on the net. They may even save money on wood pulp and cotton!
Shefaly- I was simply trying to state that those who live in the west should not expect a higher “eco-standard” from the rural poor than they are willing to be held to themselves. Eco-friendliness is a good thing, but sometimes is used as a weapon to kill projects that would do a lot of good, while the people criticizing it go on polluting at a scale many times that of the people poised to benefit from the project. I too was concerned by the additional waste, but thought the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
Ms- Thanks for the additional info. I agree that it would seem that the Hillbilly Housewife solution is feasible and would ultimately be better for all involved in the long run.
In addition, it would seem the school already has what it needs to make them (sewing machines).
The switch to reusable pads would reduce the need for raw materials, the machine, and reduce solid waste. What’s not to like?
I was excited about this because it 1. helped rural women and 2. was seed capital for a business. I was also heartbroken by the “stuffing dirty rags” which appears to not be true?
Now I’m not so sure Rags to Pads will help anyone involved, except the 2 graduates… and PP Girls School.
Also, the reusable pad idea could be used by all the girls, as a micro business (wherever they end up after marriage) which would benefit more graduates… and more of India than a centralized capital intensive solution like the one proposed on Rags to Pads.
Dave and Jenny- I don’t really know you, but I hope you’ll listen to the wise counsel you’re getting, and consider revising your plan.
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There are a lot of really good ideas here, and you can believe that we’re paying attention. One thing that needs to be clearer, though: this isn’t OUR plan. This is Pardada Pardadi’s plan. Our involvement is limited to publicity efforts — using our net savvy to help raise money.
But we will absolutely collect the ideas presented here and pass them on to PP. Thanks for all the great feedback!
Hey Guys,
here is another great alternative that I read about. Please pass it on to PP.
http://fluentbrittish.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/one-for-the-ladies-finding-my-inner-diva/
PP may mean well but I think this was a poorly researched idea. They really should tweak their plan if it is not too late. Cotton and wood pulp to be made into non reusable pads sounds like a great business plan but hardly what is appropriate for poor customers. Not to bash them but the other alternatives I linked to are much more suited, plus the designs are free to be copied and distributed. Why complicate the process by using such expensive materials ? The contents of the pad do not have to be such industrialized materials is my point.
To give an example: In Delhi, old saris can be given to sewing experts to converted into razaais/blankets for a fee . This idea can be extended and perhaps women who donated old clothes and saris to the girls of PP can get a discount on the pads that will be produced.
Nick,
This “stuffing dirty rags” is something I have never heard of and I seriously doubt it is widespread in India. Women may be poor but they still have a lot of pride and keep their personal belongings clean, so why would anyone be so disrespectful of their own bodies? My other personal deduction is that in a culture where virginity is prized I am unsure such stuffing would be taught to young girls. Of course I speak as a girl who lived in urban and affluent S. India. So my observations may not apply to the whole country.
Dugi,
I think PP’s plan is to create jobs and teach girls to be business owners. The mooncup is great but the profits would just go to some foreign entity and the girls would probably just get sales commissions.
Renuka has reverted on some of the questions asked here:
There is no chemical used to treat the wood pulp or cotton. For sterilization, a UV machine is used.
The pads have to be torn off before disposal and the wood pulp inside the pad is totally biodegradable. There is a very small portion of pad that remains after this which can been thrown in the trash bin.
Wood pulp is imported from other countries. It’s the same wood pulp is used in the manufacture of tampons and sanitary napkins, because wood pulp has a high absorption property.
As per discussion with the supplier of wood pulp, manufacturers of the wood pulp are following the environment norms.
I have used these scraps of cloth myself as a teenager, for a short period, not because we couldn’t afford sanitary napkins but because it was tradition. I have washed and cleaned the pads and re-used them for months. I am proud of it. Even today I know people who do it. They are not dirty people and they are not poor people.
I switched to disposable sanitary napkins in my late teens.
Today I know people even in metros who use them, and these people are not unhygienic and they don’t get diseases.
There’s nothing unsanitary about using soft cotton “rags” to make a pad, provided that it’s possible to wash it after use. As a woman in the West, I grew tired of the waste and discomfort of commercial pads; I’ve used nothing but homemade cloth pads for the last ten years. Using the cloths to make a tampon would of course be more problematic and I can see where the risk of infection would come in. But there shouldn’t be any shame in careful reuse of cloth PADS.
We’ve posted an FAQ on ragstopads.com that addresses many of the issues raised so far. We’re very grateful to Ms, Dugi, and Tanya for their alternative links — we’ve included those links on the FAQ so people can learn about the alternatives that are out there. Thanks to everyone for the feedback!
I get the feeling that PP is hoping to keep a business model where they help girls by making a product that has to be disposed. Reusable pads would translate into a one time sale and over a period of time sales would flatline. This is where the conflict comes — they are creating a burden on poor women who are forced to buy the pads regularly. Is this the right thing to do? I really don’t know the answer.
PP is helping poor girls and that is commendable but what about the poor women who are slowing being forced to become the next generation of shoppers and constant consumers? And what about the girls always having to rely on foreign produced raw materials like wood pulp? This overall to me is a good idea that needs to be tweaked into something more acceptable for the producers and the customers.
PP is devoted to raising young girls out of poverty but chooses to ignore the fiscal constraints faced by the buyers of the products. That doesn’t feel right to me. I am glad PP is doing this and hope they will some day see that there is a middle ground where they can lift up other women whose lives may be touched by PP unknowingly.
Ms –
“I get the feeling that PP is hoping to keep a business model where they help girls by making a product that has to be disposed. ”
I can assure you that, from our firsthand experience, PP is always concerned only with what is best for the girls. I encourage you to read more about the organization on their website. What they have done in this village in just 8 years is quite extraordinary:
http://www.education4change.org/
“Reusable pads would translate into a one time sale and over a period of time sales would flatline. ”
In 8 years,the school has grown from 45 girls to 1,000. When I went to the school back in April, Sam Singh told me that if they could take all the girls of school age in the area, they would have 40,000 students. With these kinds of numbers, I doubt the sales would ever flatline.
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I had so much problem with getting rid of pads when I was living in UP, that I just started using cloth myself – gumchas, that I could wash after and re-use my next period.
When I used pads I either had to burn them – a trip to do in India when everyone is watching every move a gori makes, or I had to save them, wrap them up in newspaper paper and put them in a plastic bag and take a rickshaw out to a private road where few people were and just throw them, yeah, I had to litter.
There is no proper systems for garbage disposal in much of India.
Quite frankly, if the sari cloth they use is clean, I think that is a better option. But I remember having to wash out the gumcha cloth I used and that was also a trip – I was sharing a joint water pump with another family.
Everything is so difficult in India, I tell ya!
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Take a look at http://www.goods4girls.org.
They have a cloth pad donation program for various African countries.
It seems to me like the people in India trying to get this going see disposables as something more modern than the old way. The pad designs posted by others in the comments here are also more modern and I hope that your contacts in India can find a way to change their plan and manufacture re-usable pads instead of disposables. $5000 and a bunch of donated saris will probably provide a lot more menstrual protection that $5k of wood pulp and cotton.
thats so sad
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HI,
I have been reading through some of these responses. I’m not sure if you have solved the problem yet, but I was doing some research. And have found a really good product that is a type of cup you insert, and then empty when it gets full.They recommend replacing the cup every year. Anyhow here is the site….
Divacup.com
Divacup.com
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