Nagpur: In a bid to reduce the period poverty, which includes easy accessibility to sanitary products, menstrual hygiene, the ‘Padman’ of the city has installed sanitary pad vending machines at Nagpur Junction Railway station.
Eight sanitary napkin vending machines have been installed at Nagpur Railway station and two others at Ajni railway station. The project was a joint effort and initiative by SGR Knowledge Foundation and Lexie, the same being sponsored by the organization.
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Tuesday 18 Feb. 2025
Founder of Lexie, Kshitij Jane told Nagpur Today that the sanitary napkins have been priced at Rs 5 each. “These are organic sanitary pads by Lexie, we wanted to make eco-friendly pads accessible to the general public at a general public location,” Jane said.
“Since the recent re-branding of Lexie, the aim has always been to make the eco-friendly pads much more accessible, and dispensing it via vending machine creates a long term hygiene infra and facility to access the sanitary pads at any time and at multiple locations. It is when SGR Knowledge Foundation joined hands with Lexie we were able to execute this plan together. We have identified other public places and government schools where we will be installing more machines, the identification and installation work is continuously going on as we speak,” the founder said.
Jane further added, “At Lexie, we believe that hygiene is not just a personal responsibility, but a social one too. That’s why we’re proud to announce the installation of our sanitary napkin vending machine at Nagpur railway station and Ajni Railway Station. With this initiative, we aim to make hygiene products easily accessible to commuters on the go. By promoting good hygiene practices in public spaces, we hope to create a healthier and safer environment for everyone.”
Sanitary napkin vending machines are set to be installed in 29 Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) schools in the city.
What is period poverty?
In simple terms, many low-income females struggle to afford menstrual products. Often the cost of the products are so high that it becomes a burden for them. Hence, seeking an easy way out, they tend to use other products such as cloth which may cause harm to their bodies.
Shockingly, one out every five girls quit school every year due to non-availability or no access to good quality period products.
Around 40 per cent of the girls skip school when they are on their periods, due to using material which has low absorbent qualities, lack of privacy in schools or other restrictions. Shockingly, 70 per cent of mothers still consider menstruation ‘dirty.’
Not just this, 63 million adolescent girls live in homes without toilet facilities and a 70 per cent increase was recorded in the incidence of reproductive tract infections owing to poor menstrual hygiene.
