The Indian sanitary pad revolutionary By Vibeke VenemaBBC World Service

Continue reading the main story In today's Magazine

No country for single !ruguay's battle

omen

ith 'pasta base' orld

Calcium" building block for the #ermany's forgotten ar

$ school dropout from a poor family in southern India has revolutionized menstrual health for rural omen in developing countries by inventing a simple machine they can use to make cheap sanitary pads% Arunachalam Muruganantham's invention came at great personal cost - he nearly lost his family, his money and his place in society. But he kept his sense of humour. !t all started "ith my "ife, he says. !n #$$% he "as ne"ly married and his "orld revolved around his "ife, Shanthi, and his "ido"ed mother. &ne day he sa" Shanthi "as hiding something from him. 'e "as shocked to discover "hat it "as - rags, nasty cloths "hich she used during menstruation.

! "ill (e honest, says Muruganantham. ! "ould not even use it to clean my scooter. When he asked her "hy she didn't use sanitary pads, she pointed out that if she (ought them for the "omen in the family, she "ouldn't (e a(le to afford to (uy milk or run the household. Wanting to impress his young "ife, Muruganantham "ent into to"n to (uy her a sanitary pad. !t "as handed to him hurriedly, as if it "ere contra(and. 'e "eighed it in his hand and "ondered "hy #)g *less than ).+o,of cotton, "hich at the time cost #) paise *.).))#-, should sell for / rupees *.).)/- - /) times the price. 'e decided he could make them cheaper himself. 'e fashioned a sanitary pad out of cotton and gave it to Shanthi, demanding immediate feed(ack. She said he'd have to "ait for some time - only then did he realise that periods "ere monthly. ! can't "ait a month for each feed(ack, it'll take t"o decades0 'e needed more volunteers. Continue reading the main story &ind out more

Muruganantham spoke to the BBC 'orld (ervice programme &utlook )utlook airs Mon-1hurs 1ells personal stories from around the "orld *isten to the intervie (ubscribe to )utlook podcast When Muruganantham looked into it further, he discovered that hardly any "omen in the surrounding villages used sanitary pads - fe"er than one in #). 'is findings "ere echoed (y a 2)## survey (y AC 3ielsen, commissioned (y the !ndian government, "hich found that only #24 of "omen across !ndia use sanitary pads. Muruganantham says that in rural areas, the take-up is far less than that. 'e "as shocked to learn that "omen don't 5ust use old rags, (ut other unhygienic su(stances such as sand, sa"dust, leaves and even ash. Women "ho do use cloths are often too em(arrassed to dry them in the sun, "hich means they don't get disinfected. Appro6imately 7)4 of all reproductive diseases in !ndia are caused (y poor menstrual hygiene it can also affect maternal mortality.

1he documentary Menstrual Man follo"s Muruganantham as he installs his machines across !ndia 8inding volunteers to test his products "as no mean feat. 'is sisters refused, so he had the idea of approaching female students at his local medical college. But ho" can a "orkshop "orker approach a medical college girl9 Muruganantham says. 3ot even college (oys can go near these girls0 'e managed to convince 2) students to try out his pads - (ut it still didn't :uite "ork out. &n the day he came to collect their feed(ack sheets he caught three of the girls industriously filling them all in. 1hese results o(viously could not (e relied on. !t "as then that he decided to test the products on himself. ! (ecame the man "ho "ore a sanitary pad, he says. 'e created a uterus from a foot(all (ladder (y punching a couple of holes in it, and filling it "ith goat's (lood. A former classmate, a (utcher, "ould ring his (icycle (ell outside the house "henever he "as going to kill a goat. Muruganantham "ould collect the (lood and mi6 in an additive he got from another friend at a (lood (ank to prevent it clotting too :uickly - (ut it didn't stop the smell. 'e "alked, cycled and ran "ith the foot(all (ladder under his traditional clothes, constantly pumping (lood out to test his sanitary pad's a(sorption rates. ;veryone thought he'd gone mad. Continue reading the main story

My

ife gone" my mum gone" ostracised by my village + I

as left all alone in life,

Arunachalam Muruganantham 'e used to "ash his (loodied clothes at a pu(lic "ell and the "hole village concluded he had a se6ual disease. 8riends crossed the road to avoid him. ! had (ecome a pervert, he says. At the same time, his

"ife got fed up - and left. So you see <od's sense of humour, he says in the documentary Menstrual Man by $mit Virmani. !'d started the research for my "ife and after #% months she left me0 1hen he had another (rain"ave - he "ould study used sanitary pads= surely this "ould reveal everything. 1his idea posed an even greater risk in such a superstitious community. ;ven if ! ask for a hair from a lady, she "ould suspect ! am doing some (lack magic on her to mesmerise her, he says. 'e supplied his group of medical students "ith sanitary pads and collected them after"ards. 'e laid his haul out in the (ack yard to study, only for his mother to stum(le across the grisly scene one afternoon. !t "as the final stra". She cried, put her sari on the ground, put her (elongings into it, and left. !t "as a pro(lem for me, he says. ! had to cook my o"n food. Worse "as to come. 1he villagers (ecame convinced he "as possessed (y evil spirits, and "ere a(out to chain him upside do"n to a tree to (e healed (y the local soothsayer. 'e only narro"ly avoided this treatment (y agreeing to leave the village. !t "as a terri(le price to pay. My "ife gone, my mum gone, ostracised (y my village he says. ! "as left all alone in life. Still, he carried on. 1he (iggest mystery "as "hat successful sanitary pads "ere made of. 'e had sent some off for la(oratory analysis and reports came (ack that it "as cotton, (ut his o"n cotton creations did not "ork. !t "as something he could only ask the multinational companies "ho produced sanitary products (ut ho"9 !t's like knocking on the door of Coke and saying, 'Can ! ask you ho" your cola is manufactured9' Muruganantham "rote to the (ig manufacturing companies "ith the help of a college professor, "hom he repaid (y doing domestic "ork - he didn't speak much ;nglish at the time. 'e also spent almost 7,))) rupees *.7)- on telephone calls - money he didn't have. When ! got through, they asked me "hat kind of plant ! had, he says. ! didn't really understand "hat they meant. !n the end, he said he "as a te6tile mill o"ner in Coim(atore "ho "as thinking of moving into the (usiness, and re:uested some samples. A fe" "eeks later, mysterious hard (oards appeared in the mail - cellulose, from the (ark of a tree. !t had taken t"o years and three months to discover "hat sanitary pads are made of, (ut there "as a snag - the machine re:uired to (reak this material do"n and turn it into pads cost many thousands of dollars. 'e "ould have to design his o"n.

1he simple machine looks like the Wright (rothers' first flight - all the "orkings are on the outside 8our-and-a-half years later, he succeeded in creating a lo"-cost method for the production of sanitary to"els. 1he process involves four simple steps. 8irst, a machine similar to a kitchen grinder (reaks do"n the hard cellulose into fluffy material, "hich is packed into rectangular cakes "ith another machine. 1he cakes are then "rapped in non-"oven cloth and disinfected in an ultraviolet treatment unit. 1he "hole process can (e learned in an hour. Muruganantham's goal "as to create user-friendly technology. 1he mission "as not 5ust to increase the use of sanitary pads, (ut also to create 5o(s for rural "omen - "omen like his mother. 8ollo"ing her hus(and's death in a road accident, Muruganantham's mother had had to sell everything she o"ned and get a 5o( as a farm la(ourer, (ut earning ># a day "asn't enough to support four children. 1hat's "hy, at the age of #/, Muruganantham had left school to find "ork. 1he machines are kept deli(erately simple and skeletal so that they can (e maintained (y the "omen themselves. !t looks like the Wright (rothers' first flight, he says. 1he first model "as mostly made of "ood, and "hen he sho"ed it to the !ndian !nstitute of 1echnology, !!1, in Madras, scientists "ere sceptical - ho" "as this man going to compete against multinationals9 But Muruganantham had confidence. As the son of a handloom "orker, he had seen his father survive "ith a simple "ooden handloom, despite //? fully mechanised mills in the city. 1hat gave him the courage to take on the (ig companies "ith his small machine made of "ood - (esides, his aim "as not really to compete. We are creating a ne" market, "e are paving the "ay for them, he says. Continue reading the main story

I've accumulated no money but I accumulate a lot of happiness, Arunachalam Muruganantham!nventor and social entrepreneur @n(ekno"n to him, the !!1 entered his machine in a competition for a national innovation a"ard. &ut of $/A entries, it came first. 'e "as given the a"ard (y the then Bresident of !ndia, Brati(ha Batil - :uite an achievement for a school dropout. Suddenly he "as in the limelight. !t "as instant glory, media flashing in my face, everything he says. 1he irony is, after five-and-a-half years ! get a call on my mo(ile - the voice huskily says= Cemem(er me9 !t "as his "ife, Shanthi. She "as not entirely surprised (y her hus(and's success. ;very time he comes to kno" something ne", he "ants to kno" everything a(out it, she says. And then he "ants to do something a(out it that no(ody else has done (efore. 'o"ever, this kind of am(ition "as not easy to live "ith. 3ot only "as she shocked (y his interest in such a matter, (ut it took up all of his time and money - at the time, they hardly had enough money to eat properly. And her trou(les "ere compounded (y gossip. 1he hardest thing "as "hen the villagers started talking and treating us really (adly, she says. 1here "ere rumours that he "as having affairs "ith other "omen, and that "as "hy he "as doing such things. She decided to go (ack home to live "ith her mother. After Shanthi, eventually Muruganantham's o"n mother and the rest of the villagers - "ho had all condemned, criticised and ostracised him - came round too. Muruganantham seemed set for fame and fortune, (ut he "as not interested in profit. !magine, ! got patent rights to the only machine in the "orld to make lo"-cost sanitary napkins - a hot-cake product, he says. Anyone "ith an MBA "ould immediately accumulate the ma6imum money. But ! did not "ant to. Why9 Because from childhood ! kno" no human (eing died (ecause of poverty - everything happens (ecause of ignorance. 'e (elieves that (ig (usiness is parasitic, like a mos:uito, "hereas he prefers the lighter touch, like that of a (utterfly. A (utterfly can suck honey from the flo"er "ithout damaging it, he says.

Muruganantham trains "omen to use his machines - he still installs many of them himself 1here are still many ta(oos around menstruation in !ndia. Women can't visit temples or pu(lic places, they're not allo"ed to cook or touch the "ater supply - essentially they are considered untoucha(le. !t took Muruganantham #% months to (uild 2+) machines, "hich he took out to the poorest and most underdeveloped states in 3orthern !ndia - the so-called B!MAC@ or sick states of Bihar, Madhya Bradesh, Ca5asthan, and @ttar Bradesh. 'ere, "omen often have to "alk for miles to fetch "ater, something they can't do "hen they are menstruating - so families suffer. My inner conscience said if ! can crack it in Bihar, a very tough nut to crack, ! can make it any"here, says Muruganantham. !t "as hard even to (roach the su(5ect in such a conservative society. 1o speak to rural "omen, "e need permission from the hus(and or father, he says. We can only talk to them through a (lanket. 1here are also myths and fears surrounding the use of sanitary pads - that "omen "ho use them "ill go (lind, for e6ample, or "ill never get married. But slo"ly, village (y village, there "as cautious acceptance and over time the machines spread to #,A)) villages in 2A states. !n each case, it's the "omen "ho produce the sanitary pads "ho sell them directly to the customer. Shops are usually run (y men, "hich can put "omen off. And "hen customers get them from "omen they kno", they can also ac:uire important information on ho" to use them. Burchasers may not even need any money - many "omen (arter for onions and potatoes. While getting the message out to ne" areas of the country is still difficult, Muruganantham is sceptical a(out the effectiveness of 1D advertising. Eou al"ays have a girl in "hite 5eans, 5umping over a "all, he says. 1hey never talk a(out hygiene.

;ach producer chooses their o"n (rand name - (rands include Be Cool, Cela6 and 1ouch 8ree Most of Muruganantham's clients are 3<&s and "omen's self-help groups. A manual machine costs around 7+,))) !ndian rupees *.72A- - a semi-automated machine costs more. ;ach machine converts A,))) "omen to pad usage, and provides employment for #). 1hey can produce 2))-2+) pads a day "hich sell for an average of a(out 2.+ rupees *.).)2+- each. Women choose their o"n (rand-name for their range of sanitary pads, so there is no over-arching (rand - it is (y the "omen, for the "omen, and to the "omen . Muruganantham also "orks "ith schools - 2A4 of girls drop out of education once they start menstruating. 3o" school girls make their o"n pads. Why "ait till they are "omen9 Why not empo"er girls9

Some !ndian school girls are no" making their o"n sanitary pads 1he !ndian government recently announced it "ould distri(ute su(sidised sanitary products to poorer "omen. !t "as a (lo" for Muruganantham that it did not choose to "ork "ith him, (ut he no" has his eyes on the "ider "orld. My aim "as to create one million 5o(s for poor "omen - (ut "hy not #) million 5o(s "orld"ide9 he asks. 'e is e6panding to #)? countries across the glo(e, including Fenya, 3igeria, Mauritius, the Bhilippines, and Bangladesh. &ur success is entirely do"n to "ord-of-mouth pu(licity, he says. Because this is a pro(lem all developing nations face. Muruganantham no" lives "ith his family in a modest apartment. 'e o"ns a 5eep, a rugged car that "ill take me to hillsides, 5ungles, forest , (ut has no desire to accumulate possessions. ! have accumulated no money (ut ! accumulate a lot of happiness, he says. !f you get rich, you have an apartment "ith an e6tra (edroom - and then you die.

Muruganantham's "ife Shanthi and their daughter Breeti on a day out 'e prefers to spend his time talking to university and college students. 'e's an engaging and funny speaker, despite his idiosyncratic ;nglish. 'e says he is not "orking (rain to (rain (ut heart to heart. Guckily !'m not educated, he tells students. !f you act like an illiterate man, your learning "ill never stop... Being uneducated, you have no fear of the future. 'is "ife Shanthi agrees "ith him on this point. !f he had completed his education, he "ould (e like any other guy, "ho "orks for someone else, "ho gets a daily "age, she says. But (ecause he did not complete school, he had the courage to come out to start a (usiness of his o"n. 3o" he's employing other people. Shanthi and Muruganantham are no" a tight unit. My "ife, the (usiness - it is not a separate thing, it is mi6ed up "ith our life, he says. Continue reading the main story -ugaad Innovations Hugaad is an !ndian "ord that means ingenious improvisation in the face of scarce resources - or necessity is the mother of invention. 'ere are three more grassroots innovations=

1he .oyal /nfield Bullet motorbike plough

1he Mitticool clay fridge - it doesn't need electricity 1he Aakash ta(let - the "orld's cheapest computer When a girl reaches pu(erty in their village, there is a ceremony - traditionally it meant that they "ere ready to marry. Shanthi al"ays (rings a sanitary pad as a gift and e6plains ho" to use it. !nitially ! used to (e very shy "hen talking to people a(out it, she says. But after all this time, people have started to open up. 3o" they come and talk to me, they ask :uestions and they also get sanitary napkins to try them. 1hey have all changed a lot in the village. Muruganantham says she does a "onderful 5o(. 'e "as once asked "hether receiving the a"ard from the !ndian president "as the happiest moment of his life. 'e said no - his proudest moment came after he installed a machine in a remote village in @ttarakhand, in the foothills of the 'imalayas, "here for many generations no(ody had earned enough to allo" children to go to school. A year later, he received a call from a "oman in the village to say that her daughter had started school. Where 3ehru failed, he says, one machine succeeded.

Scindia Fanya Didyalaya school principal 3ishi Misra talking to "omen a(out hygiene in Madhya Bradesh Arunachalam Muruganantham spoke to Outlook on the BBC World Service. *isten again on i0layer or get the )utlook podcast. 'I1I0/2I$ $runachalam Muruganantham is an inventor from rural Coim(atore in the southern state of 1amil 3adu, !ndia "ho uncovered the need for an ine6pensive solution to unsanitary and unhygienic practices

around menstruation in rural !ndia. 'e created and patented a machine "hich could manufacture lo"cost sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads. 'e has plans to e6pand the availa(ility of his product to #)? countries.I#J Contents IhideJ

# 'istory 2 !nvention A Women's "ellness / See also + Ceferences ? ;6ternal links 'istoryIeditJ &ne day, Arunachalam Muruganantham discovered his "ife collecting rags to use during her menstrual cycle (ecause their family couldn't afford the pricey sanitary napkins produced (ymultinational corporations.
I2J

1rou(led (y "hat he sa", he "ent on to fashion e6perimental pads in an effort to understand "hat

constitutes an effective sanitary napkin. !n the (eginning, he looked for female volunteers "ho could test his inventions, (ut most "ere too shy to discuss their menstrual issues "ith him. Geft "ith no alternative, he decided to test his inventions on himself - using animal (lood, among other methods. 'is preoccupation "ith addressing the issues that stem from ho" "omen deal "ith their menstrual flo", a rather ta(oo su(5ect in !ndia, left him ostraci,ed (y his community and family *al(eit temporarily-. IAJ 'e continued his research in the face of these and other difficulties, ho"ever, and eventually learned that "ood pulp "as the key component he had thus far missed. Armed "ith this ne" kno"ledge, he proceeded to devise a machine "hich allo"s for simple and cost effective pad manufacture, and "hich can (e operated "ith minimal training.
I/J

Muruganantham's story "as the su(5ect of the feature documentary, Menstrual Man.

!nventionIeditJ

Cural "omen meeting as mem(ers of self-help groups *S'<s-.

Muruganantham founded the company, Hayaashree !ndustries, "hich markets these machines to rural "omen all over !ndia and provides them "ith employment and a "ay to uplift them from poverty. I+J 'is innovation has (een praised for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, and his commitment to social aid has earned him several a"ards.IAJ Kespite offers from several corporate entities to commerciali,e his venture, he has refused to sell out and continues to provide these machines to self-help groups *S'<s- run (y "omen all over !ndia.I?J Women's "ellnessIeditJ Muruganantham's invention has changed the lives of "omen in !ndia.I7J !n some countries, reusa(le or makeshift pads are still used to collect menstrual (lood. Cags, soil, and mud are also reportedly used for collecting menstrual flo".IAJ Muruganantham's machine creates 5o(s and income for many "omen, and afforda(le pads afford many more "omen the opportunity to lead regular lives during menstruation.I%J Shaded from the sun (eneath a large arch"ay, one of them, 2+-year-old @mar Barthak, said of the napkins= We feel a lot more freedom. !t gives us a lot more freedom to go out. Also, the rags that "e previously used "ere not hygienic. See alsoIeditJ
IAJ

Menstrual Man Menstrual ta(oo Women in !ndia

CeferencesIeditJ

#.

-ump up3 1he !ndian sanitary pad revolutionary . BBC 3e"s. Cetrieved March, /, 2)#/.. -ump up3 Sandhana, Gakshmi. An !ndian !nventor Kisrupts 1he Beriod !ndustry . 8ast Company. Cetrieved #% August 2)#2.

2.

A.

L Hump up to=a b c d Buncom(e, Andre" *2$ Hune 2)#2-. 1he '1ampon Fing' "ho sparked a period of change for !ndia's "omen . 1he !ndependent. Cetrieved #% August 2)#2.

/.

-ump up3 8o66-<on,ale,, Fellie *2$ Hune 2)#2-. 1ampon Fing . 1he Mary Sue. Cetrieved #% August 2)#2.

+.

-ump up3 Fumar, Dikas *#% Hanuary 2)#2-. Blood, s"eat M a fe" tears= Arunachalam Muruganantham's lessons for consumer product firms . 1he ;conomic 1imes. Cetrieved #% August 2)#2.

?.

-ump up3 Sandhana, Gakshmi *2# Hanuary 2)#2-. !ndia's "omen given lo"-cost route to sanitary protection . 1he <uardian. Cetrieved #% August 2)#2.

7.

-ump up3 Camdoss, Santhosh *A# Hanuary 2)#2-. ;na(ling Access through Go"-cost Sanitary Bads= Hayashree !ndustries . 1hink Change !ndia. Cetrieved #% August 2)#2.

8.

-ump up3 Baker, Fatie H.M. *2$ Hune 2)#2-. Meet !ndiaNs O1ampon FingN . He,e(el. Cetrieved #% August 2)#2.

;6ternal linksIeditJ

3e" !nventions= Hayaashree !ndustries 1;K talk (y Muruganantham !nnovation for society (etterment (y Arunachalam Muruganantham