The SmileKeepers Foundation is a youth organisation which has
currently started a new mission for empowering women. Women empowerment is
promoting women’s sense of ability, their freedom and their right to bring
about social change in the society. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a
stumbling situation regarding menstrual hygiene. The conditions which affect
the health and wellbeing of women and girls particularly among the poorest
communities that are deprived of multiple facilities. Lack of education on this
issue, poor sanitation infrastructure, stigma and taboo, unavailability of
proper menstrual hygiene products are having a drastic effect on the women in
India.
The team SmileKeepers
firmly believes that no girl or women should be held back due to the natural
cycle of menstruation. No girl should suffer due to how this nature works.
Every girl has the ability to transform this world and deny all the myths and
taboos that are believed by many people.
On the occasion of
National Girl Child Day and International Day of Education, the foundation
sowed the seeds for “Kamakhya”, a mission which holds the strength of educating
young girls on sanitary hygiene and providing support to them. The commencement
of this mission was done in the slum areas by distributing sanitary pads to
young girls and women. Furthermore, the team endeavoured to promote the utilization
of reusable and biodegradable sanitary pads and diminish the usage of plastic
pads.
The objectives of
this mission include distributing reusable and biodegradable handmade sanitary
napkins monthly to the women in slum areas, sharing knowledge about sanitary
hygiene, motivating young girls to be proud of themselves and providing support
to women in various possible ways. Menstruation related misinformation should
never stop a woman from achieving her dreams and the team SmileKeepers want to
promote and educate women on their rightful abilities. When women are living a
healthy, safe, fulfilled and productive lives, they can reach their full
potential. Contributing their knowledge and workforce to the society and can
raise happier and healthier children.
The SmileKeepers
Foundation believes that period shaming, poverty and discrimination affect the
physical as well as mental health of women and girls. Going through the
menstrual cycles every month, many girls do not know the biological reason
behind menstruation and sudden changes in their body, nor do they understand
the discrimination they start facing in their families and society. Isolated by
the social stigma attached, they do not have the ability to access safe,
hygienic and affordable options to manage menstruation. This foundation aspires
to change this condition by spreading awareness, supporting supply of menstrual
hygiene products to women and of course changing the society’s viewpoints and
perspectives.
Speaking
about their celebration of International Women’s Day, a member of the NGO, Fiza
Shaikh says, “We have already started working on making of sanitary pads, hence
have set a goal of producing 100 reusable sanitary pads that are free of
harmful components, which we will distribute to women in street and slum areas
on this occasion.”
