Enactus JMI

INTRODUCTION

Project Shrimati aims to provide a source of stable income to the underprivileged women communities and offers them an opportunity at self-dependency and self-sufficiency, alongside working on the grounds of creating eco-friendly reusable sanitary pads. It also intends to create awareness regarding menstrual health and hygiene.

According to the reports provided by Menstrual Hygiene Alliance of India, currently there are over 36 million menstruating women in the country. On an average, 24 pads are used by an Indian woman each month. This amounts to 12 billion sanitary pads discarded every year. India faces a severe problem concerning sanitary waste management. Moreover, due to the regressive outlook of our society towards menstruation, there is a significant lack of discourse around the topic and thus a discussion is highly needed. In search of a direly required sustainable solution, we at Enactus JMI came up with Project Shrimati.

MISSION

Our objective with Project Shrimati is to tackle the problems that are still prevalent in our country such as unemployment, plastic pollution, menstrual hygiene and sanitary waste disposal, and also to uplift and empower the women of our society by providing them with financial stability through employment.

Women and girls in India feel embarrassed, uncomfortable, and sometimes unsafe while managing their periods and they attempt to conceal the fact from others. Project Shrimati not only aims to provide a solution to menstrual waste management but also initiates a dialogue on menstruation, thus contributing to a social solution.

OVERVIEW

Shrimati aims to provide employment and a stable source of income to the underprivileged women communities. The country’s unemployment rate has increased drastically, significantly higher for women than that for men. Those that were already vulnerable remain the most affected.
The present community, that Enactus JMI is striving to uplift and strengthen through this project, are the women living in Shram Vihar, South East Delhi.
These women are involved in the manufacturing and development of our eco-friendly reusable sanitary pads. Through the use of these pads, we are aiming to reduce the accumulation of single use plastic waste that arises from the disposable sanitary napkins.
Our product is distinct from the traditional pads. It contains absorbent layers of banana and bamboo fiber which are environment friendly and non-polluting. Moreover, banana fiber is obtained from the pseudo stem of the banana plant, which is generally thrown away and, hence, is easily available.
Project Shrimati is helping to create a market for products manufactured using organic fiber material, providing an organic alternative to harmful chemical based products.
Shrimati simultaneously addresses the issue of menstrual hygiene and aims to spread menstrual health awareness.

Goals

Promoting the usage of reusable sanitary napkins to initiate sanitary waste reduction.
Conducting campaigns for menstrual health awareness and destigmatizing the topic of menstruation.
Creating sustainable and economical opportunities for women communities.
Donating our reusable sanitary pads among the underprivileged members of our society.

MEANS OF EMPOWERMENT

We provide the community opportunities of employment and, in turn, a stable source of income which can be fruitful in making them financially secure.
The community is provided with better entrepreneurial skills and a sustainable business model.
They are also exposed to a larger digital market, making them at par with the modern day technological advancements while also exposing them to new areas of marketing and business.

Projected Impact

Over 12 billion sanitary napkins are discarded each year. They are disposed of by either burning, dumping, or being buried into the soil and are hazards for the environment as they result in all sorts of pollution. With reusable sanitary products, we aim to minimize the usage of plastic based sanitary napkins and reduce plastic pollution.
Reports suggest that on an average, a female uses approximately 6000 disposable sanitary pads in a lifetime which contributes to pollution. This number can be reduced to about 130 in case of reusable Shrimati pads. Even if 10 women start using our product, within 2 years we can help reduce 106kg of carbon footprint.
We aim to have continuous developments in our project and boost the work dedication of our community through engaging activities.
Commonly used tampons and pads generate more than 200,000 metric tons of waste annually. Shrimati pads are organic and have a lifetime of 18 months, thus reducing the need of regular disposals and hence, leading to plastic reduction.
Project Shrimati has been garnering immense attention through our continuous community outreach and awareness efforts. Our project is gaining a foothold in the market, and a surge in demand will help us expand our workforce by hiring more women and providing them with the necessary training.
Providing assistance in the empowerment of the downtrodden women, our project seeks to deliver social and economic support to our community so that they can achieve self-dependency.

Way Forward

Our team focuses on collaborating with local NGOs and organizations working towards the well-being of women and adolescent girls. These partnerships are aimed at donating the reusable sanitary napkins among the communities and conducting menstrual health awareness campaigns.
Currently, our team has established, and is working on the further development of our second production unit in Goa.
In the long-term, we aim to introduce biodegradable disposable sanitary napkins as well as organic baby products to target a wider audience.
Our team is currently involved in the research to include coconut coir in our product’s core, which will assist us greatly when we expand to cities in Southern India.

CONCERNS:

Social:

Uplifting women from underprivileged communities with sustainable employment.
Creating a discourse around menstruation in India and therefore discrediting the present taboo.
Promoting concepts of menstrual health and hygiene along with environmental awareness.

Economical

Analyzing market trends, consumer needs and launching quality products.
Creating a market for a cheaper and sustainable menstrual product, thus making them easily accessible and available.
Providing economic stability to women in the community, thus helping them with a platform which provides them financial liberty.

Environmental

Replacing, or at least minimizing, the prevalence of single-used napkins and reducing plastic waste.
Reducing carbon footprint.
Efficiently using raw materials which were previously being discarded.