Gramalaya, an organisation based in Tiruchirappalli, has been creating awareness about menstrual hygiene among rural women. The organisation’s fifth summit was held at Hotel Shangri-La Eros in Delhi.
As part of the awareness campaign, five young graduates who travel across the country promoting menstrual hygiene rode on motorcycles from Trichy to Delhi and participated in the event.
This rally, titled “Birds of the Roads”, began on the 15th from Trichy and reached Delhi via Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. In Delhi, they were welcomed with flower bouquets by Gramalaya founder Mr. Damodaran and the administrators of “Banega Swasth India.” Later, several sessions and panel discussions were conducted at the venue, with a large number of women participating.
After the summit, these youngsters will travel to Varanasi and then return to Tamil Nadu through the eastern coastal states. Altogether, they are travelling 5,000 km on motorcycles.
The women who attended the event appreciated the young men for voluntarily taking up a campaign that is usually carried out by women, and many took photographs with them.
Organised by Gramalaya in collaboration with Dettol Banega Swasth India and Bank of America, the summit saw the participation of 250 delegates and 50 speakers. They discussed sustainable menstrual practices, such as reusable pads, menstrual cups, and compostable materials, as menstrual waste is becoming a serious environmental challenge.
Through group discussions, demonstrations, workshops, and product exhibitions, the summit emphasised not only learning but also commitment to action.
Speaking about the summit, Gramalaya founder Mr. Damodaran said, “We are working to create awareness about menstrual health across India. Several discussions were held on women’s welfare, safety, and development. A large number of women are affected by issues related to menstruation. Similarly, the disposal of plastic sanitary napkins in open spaces severely affects the environment and water bodies. Researchers estimate that it takes up to 800 years for plastic sanitary pads to decompose. Hence, Gramalaya promotes the use of cloth-based napkins, similar to what our ancestors used, and spreads awareness about their benefits.”
Parthiban, one of the graduates who travelled from Trichy to Delhi on a motorcycle for the awareness campaign, said, “To create awareness about menstrual hygiene, five of us travelled across about seven states on motorcycles. Earlier, I also conducted two awareness rallies emphasising the importance of wearing helmets. We will continue conducting such rallies to raise awareness about social issues among the public.”