When we were first taught about menstruation in Class 8, we understood the problems that we could face during our periods. Two things, among other issues, were of serious concern. One is the usage of regular sanitary napkins that can cause serious fungal infections and the other was unscientific disposal of used napkins that cause environmental hazards,” says Chhavi.

But Chhavi and her friends did not leave the issue alone. Indeed, they took it upon themselves to find a solution for it.

Students from Amity International School, Ghaziabad, Chhavi Sharma, Krishi Bhatt and Poonam Bhatt, have designed a unique biodegradable sanitary pad.

Generally, used napkins either end up in water bodies or in landfills and take hundreds of years to decompose. But these will degrade in a safe manner in a year or so.

The herbal sanitary napkins designed by these girls work just like your regular napkin and last for 6-7 hours. Also, their cotton-based layers ensure a rash-free experience.

The trio’s passion for coming up with a safe solution stemmed from a chapter on menstrual hygiene that was taught in the school three years ago.

It has been estimated that there are close to 336 million menstruating women in India of whom only 36 per cent have access to sanitary pads. Even today, a majority of women use unhygienic things like using old clothes and leaves which exposes them to infections.

The team is also trying to address this concern by hoping to make these herbal sanitary pads affordable so that women from every stratum of the society can use them.

“There are a few herbal and biodegradable products available in the market, but they are not affordable. Our pads are lowcost and it makes our herbal sanitary napkins unique,” asserts Chhavi.