Of the 355 million menstruating girls and women in India, only about 18 per cent use sanitary napkins. The reasons behind this staggering statistic include decades of archaic attitudes and stigma surrounding menstruation, the lack of choice and accessibility for safe and affordable sanitary products and limited awareness of the importance of proper menstrual hygiene management. Even amongst the 18 per cent, some are still unaware of maintaining proper genital hygiene and the correct usage of the product, often overusing sanitary napkins.
Niine Sanitary Napkins launched in India this year with a mission to provide wide access to appropriately priced sanitary products to menstruating girls and women across rural and urban India. The video campaign released by Niine Sanitary Napkins is the latest initiative by the Niine Movement, a five-year plan aimed at raising awareness on the importance of menstrual hygiene and tackling the taboos associated with menstruation.
Niine Movement’s new ad film has been produced by the creative agency Anomalous, with the brief being to encourage siblings to talk freely about periods and break the stigma that surrounds it.
Explaining the concept behind the film, creative director Ankita Gupta says, “Raksha Bandhan is a festival that celebrates the love between a brother and his sister. With the right balance of emotions, the film brings to light that a brother’s role as his sister’s protector should not end at just shielding her from getting in trouble with their parents or the real life bad guys, but by also providing her with the basic necessities to live a healthy and dignified life. We hope this film will enable siblings to talk freely about periods and break the stigma that surrounds it.”
Using the hashtag #SurakshaBandhan, the film tells boys and men to think about giving their sisters a present that matters more than money or other traditional gifts, and giving the gift of good health, hygiene and dignity with a Niine sanitary napkin.
Amar Tulsiyan, founder of the Niine Movement said, “ The only way we can do this (increase awareness of sanitary napkins) is through talking to men and boys too and letting them know that by helping your daughters and sisters get access to sanitary napkins, you are protecting them. We need to bridge the gap and encourage both men and women to not just talk about menstrual hygiene but also encourage women to use sanitary napkins.”