Humans of Climate Action - Soumya Dabriwal

Solving problems pertaining to menstrual health can be a complex endeavour, even more so in trying to make it accessible as well as sustainable. Meet Soumya from Project Baala, who's working on putting an end to period poverty - providing affordable and sustainable solutions.

“Ever since I was a college student, I realized that there were not enough solutions to democratize menstrual hygiene in India and the ones that existed were not really sustainable or long term in any form or manner.

Hence, that was the core belief to build an organization that could truly put sustainability as well as hygiene at the forefront which, in the form of Project Baala, we’re truly fortunate to be working on that mission.

When it comes to menstrual hygiene in India, the numbers paint a startling picture as 60% of women still use unhygienic forms of products such as rags, that are neither functional nor good for one’s health, as a result of which 40,000 women lose their lives each year.

The problems exist both in terms of access and awareness in large parts of the country. This is where it is very important to have strong partnerships both through the grassroots organizations and CSR’s.

Training and imparting knowledge here, in this case is very important as there have been myths and taboos associated with menstruation for generations, and also around disposal of menstrual care products, which poses a huge hazard for the environment.

So far, we’ve been able to improve the lives of nearly 3.5 lakh girls in the last 2 years, by distributing over 10 lakh reusable pads.

We’ve also been helping local women become entrepreneurs to cater to the natural demand in the areas and sell the pads to the local communities.

The idea is indeed taking shape towards creating a model that allows the project to be more long term aligned towards sustainability and also the livelihood of local women and creating a holistic menstrual hygiene solution.”

Soumya Dabriwal, Founder, Project Baala