One of Bollywood’s most iconic megastar’s & India’s very own “Pad Man” Akshay Kumar is supporting a nationwide campaign, #18to82, with the aim of bridging the gap between the 18% of menstruating females in India who use sanitary napkins, and the 82% predominantly engaging in unhygienic practices. The pioneering campaign launches ahead of the inauguration of the Niine Movement, an ambitious new initiative aimed at raising awareness of menstrual hygiene and tackling the age-old stigma against menstruation across both genders and all age groups.
Akshay Kumar is a renowned woman empowerment advocate and boldly tackled the issue of the menstrual taboo in the award-winning film Pad Man. In fact he supports the Niine Movement as a continued champion of the cause of menstrual hygiene. Akshay Kumar took to social media to supportthe #18to82 campaign with the message:
“ONLY 18% of Indian women use sanitary napkins vs 82% who use unhygienic means. I support the #NIINEMovement which breaks the taboos & encourages conversations on periods.”
Help bridge the gap from #18to82, register on www.niine.com
Speaking about his support for the Niine Movement, Akshay Kumar averred; “Open & unafraid conversations on menstruation are powerful as they help to breakdown taboos. I am honoured to support the Niine Movement with the launch of the #18to82 campaign, because menstrual hygiene is an urgent issue that we must resolve in India.
Together we can ensure that every female has the right to manage her period safely & with dignity, and the Niine Movement can drive the social revolution that India needs to initiate change for an entire country. The empowerment of women is the empowerment of a nation.”
Despite India housing 355 million menstruating women, the 2nd highest menstruating population globally, approximately only 18% of them currently use sanitary napkins – with the other 82% of women often reverting to unhygienic & unsafe alternatives such as old cloths, rags, hay & even ash. The key stimulus behind this staggering statistic can be traced back to decades of archaic attitudes & stigmas surrounding menstruation and the lack of accessibility for safe and affordable sanitary products. A result of the unwillingness to discuss female menstruation is the subsequent culture of silence & shame which has left women with no choice but to partake in unsafe menstrual practices behind closed doors, frequently resulting in urinary & reproductive tract infections, stress, anxiety & even gender-based violence.
The Niine Movement is conceived by social entrepreneur Amar Tulsiyan. Speaking about the launch of the movement Amar Tulsiyan said, “We each have a responsibility to do what we can to tackle the taboos around menstruation and educate the next generation about periods in the right way. It is my hope that through the #18to82 campaign the Niine Movement becomes the spark that leads the way in bringing menstrual hygiene & dignity to every woman & girl in India.”
An ambitious 5 year plan committed to grass-root change, the Niine Movement will be launched at the Menstrual Awareness Conclave taking place in Delhi on Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Day on 28th May, 2018. The Menstrual Awareness Conclave will convene renowned film personalities, academics, policymakers, government officials, activists, business stalwarts, NGOs, thought-leaders, including Akshay Kumar, to discuss the impact that stigma & taboos on menstruation have had on holding girls & women back for centuries.
Join & follow the Nine Movement’s #18to82 campaign following & liking the campaign on @NiineMovement on twitter, facebook & instagram.
The Niine Movement is an ambitious 5-year plan that aims to tackle the taboos associated with menstruation by engaging all genders & ages to step forward and join hands to promote the importance of menstrual hygiene awareness.
Understanding the need for collective effort to change mindsets, the Niine Movement intends to use its convening power to engage multi-sector groups in India – from governments, corporate & NGO community, to sustain not only a discussion but encourage affirmative action on addressing menstrual hygiene management. To achieve its vision, the Niine Movement’s theory of change adopts a 3 pronged approach by: Educating girls, women, boys & men of good menstrual hygiene practices. Enrolling citizens & existing menstrual hygiene product users in a supportive & taboo free environment to create an open forum for discussion & deliberation. Enhancing the sanitation sector of India by providing the best quality menstrual hygiene products at appropriate prices.
Reflecting its vision for a new & better Swachh Bharat, which begins & is driven by girls & woman, Niine also reflects 9 core ways a nation can achieve its full potential if we support menstruating girls & women, using the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the 17 goals that world leaders agreed to achieving by 2030 to end world poverty, tackle climate change & reduce inequalities, as an index.
