708 women gain access to safe period care in rural Karnataka

Name: Donate a Cup!
Brand: asan store
SKU: DONATE
Price: 900.0 INR
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November 8, 2024

708 women in Kanakpura have benefited from a menstrual health CSR programme supported by Avalon Technologies. Through Asan's menstrual health education and Asan cup donation intervention, each woman has gained two hours of work per period. Each woman is also saving Rs. 12000 and has averted 1440 pads from landfill over 10 years.

This program took place over six months, from April 2024 to September 2024, across two villages - Dyavapatna and B.V Halli, in Kanakpura Taluk, Karnataka. . This program was implemented in partnership with Belaku Trust - an NGO with over 30 years of experience working on social development in Kanakpura Taluk, Karnataka.

Upon completion of the program, we found that 90% of the women have successfully adopted the Asan menstrual cup. In this report, we will explore how this huge adoption rate was achieved.

Understanding the context: period poverty in Dyavapatna and B.V Halli, Kanakpura Taluk, Karnataka

Before starting the program, the Belaku Trust team conducted an initial baseline survey to understand the menstrual health needs of the community. Here is what they found:

1. Women experienced leaks and rashes while using bulky sanitary pads.

2. Each menstruating individual spends Rs.100 on average on sanitary pads every month.

3. Many women expressed that their periods cause stress and anxiety.

4. Cloth rag users struggled with drying their rag in sunlight due to menstrual stigma.

In Kanakpura Taluk, the usage of poor quality sanitary pads and cloth rags is very high due to a lack of affordable high quality solutions.

Hence, there was a clear need for menstrual health initiatives that would enable women to manage their periods comfortable, safely, and sustainably.

Why is the Asan menstrual cup a solution to period poverty?

The Asan cup is a reusable period product that is used to collect menstrual flow. It is made from Class VI Silicone (the same material used in heart stents) and has a design patent for its unique removal ring - which makes it the easiest menstrual cup to use.

The Asan cup is particularly well suited to the needs of marginalised communities, including adolescent girls, for the following reasons:

1. Affordability: A single Asan cup can be used for ten years, enabling each girl to save over ₹12,000 ($150) in this period.

2. Comfort: As it is worn internally, users cannot even feel that they are on their period.

3. Capacity: The Asan cup holds three times more fluid than a pad and can safely be worn for 12 hours.

4. Privacy: The cup is small and can easily be stored in private. There is nothing to dispose of or hang out to dry; only the user is aware that they’re menstruating.

5. Better health: Those who switch to the Asan cup experience a reduction in rashes, discomfort, UTIs and reproductive tract infections.

6. Freedom of movement: Daily tasks such as working, going to school and exercise are made possible during periods.

Program implementation

A team of six women from Belaku Trust managed the implementation of this program. To ensure that every woman across the two villages is included, the team took a street-by-street approach to conduct sessions.

Program implementation involved three key components: 1) Community Connect, 2) Distribution Sessions, and 3) Follow-up Sessions. Each session involved between 20-35 women, creating a safe space for community members to ask questions and raise any concerns.

1. Community connect

The first session of the program focused on familiarising the community with the menstrual health program and upcoming Asan cup distribution. This stage took place over one month.

This stage is crucial to build trust with community members and introduce the idea of a menstrual cup and its benefits.

2. Distribution sessions

The second session of the program focused on Asan cup distribution, which took place over two months.

In-depth training about using the Asan menstrual cup was provided to each group - with a space to ask questions and understand the benefits of these products.

Following this, participants were given the option to take an Asan cup. The participants were also provided with phone numbers of the Belaku Trust team so that they could receive hand-holding support through the switch to the Asan cup.

3. Follow-up sessions

Following the distribution, the Belaku Trust team conducted focus groups and individual interviews with women who had received an Asan menstrual cup over the course of three months.

At this stage, women shared their experiences using the Asan cup and any questions they had.

Program outcome

The main objective of this study is to find out how the Asan cup has had an impact on the overall menstrual experience.

After concluding the follow-up sessions across both villages, we determined that there has been a 90% adoption rate of the Asan cup across Dyavapatna and B.V Halli.

Here is what we found:

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Stories of impact

The adoption of the Asan menstrual cup was very successful across these two villages. See what users have to say:

We would like to thank the Belaku Trust team for their dedication towards program implementation in Dyavapatna and B.V Halli, Kanakpura Taluk, Karnataka.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to Avalon Technologies for supporting this program and helping create a long-lasting impact on the lives of women in Kanakpura.