One of the fundamental objectives of the foundation has been to work towards providing livelihood opportunities, employment and earning to rural female. The deliberate choice of a semi-automatic manufacturing technology was made with this objective in mind, although it has the result of making our sanitary pads a bit costlier. However, this cost escalation has been amply compensated by the effect we have been able to generate on womenfolk in the villages. We are able to provide them an opportunity to step out of the domestic confines and be engaged in a professional productive process, and there also earn some money. We have found that the cash earned by women themselves is valued very highly as it is something which is the fruit of their own hard work and on which they have their absolute right, not of their husbands. In this way, it is something which empowers them, make them smarter and independent. The women agency is thus gets stimulated and activated in this process. One of the heartening facts of this approach is the continuous stream of women who visit our units and show their interest in getting employed there, although we currently are not in a position to fulfil all such requests due to our limited scale of operations.

As already said, one of our novel and unique approach has been to engage local rural women productively in manufacturing and distribution process itself thereby integrating these activities with raising of awareness among women about the importance of menstrual hygiene and health and tackling the social-behavioural challenge. Our manufacturing units which employ only women and girls provide them not only an opportunity of earning, livelihood and empowerment, but in the process also exposes them to the processes and intricacies of sanitary pad making, its use and the applied knowledge and understanding of menstrual hygiene and women health. This process is further augmented and aided by an open and learning environment, friendly discussion and regular workshops with female experts organized by the Foundation. This all has a positive impact on tackling the often vexed and complex issue of socio-behavioural change related to use and utility of sanitary napkins.