Garhwal Post Bureau
Kashipur,30 Nov: The Indian Institute of Management Kashipur, one of the country’s leading management institutions known for its focus on innovation, social responsibility and interdisciplinary learning, hosted the 11th edition of TEDxIIMKashipur. TEDx events, inspired by TED’s global mission of ideas worth spreading, provide a platform for thinkers, innovators and changemakers to share transformative stories. This year, social reformer and founder of Humans For Humanity, Anurag Chauhan, spoke about the urgent need to reimagine menstrual health in India.
Chauhan addressed an enthusiastic audience on the theme Reimagining the Familiar, highlighting how menstruation, a natural biological process, continues to be shrouded in silence, stigma and misinformation. He emphasised that poor menstrual hygiene, not menstruation itself, is the problem and that millions of women and girls across India are impacted due to lack of access, awareness, and cultural taboos. He also stressed the importance of including men and boys in menstrual literacy so they can support mothers, sisters, wives and daughters with understanding and empathy.
Through the WASH Project, Humans For Humanity has conducted over 15,000 workshops and reached 5 million women and girls across India. The initiative promotes awareness, trains communities to make biodegradable sanitary pads, and creates safe spaces where women can openly discuss their bodies, health and dignity. Chauhan explained that improving menstrual hygiene is not only about products but also about education, behaviour change, community involvement and breaking taboos.
The need of the hour, Chauhan emphasised, is to treat menstrual hygiene management as a public health priority. Millions of girls miss school during their periods, and many women rely on unsafe practices due to lack of awareness or access. Through Humans For Humanity, Chauhan’s work has made waves nationwide by combining awareness sessions, training workshops, community pad-making units and open conversations, allowing communities themselves to become champions of menstrual health.
During his visit, Humans For Humanity organised a menstrual hygiene distribution and awareness drive for women and girls from Bhatta Colony and Tanda Village in Kashipur. The team distributed sanitary pads and Warmee heat patches and conducted workshops on menstrual hygiene, nutrition and safe practices. More than 150 women and girls participated, engaging in discussions aimed at breaking taboos and building healthier menstrual habits.
The event featured an inspiring lineup of speakers including Anita Bokepalli, Navin Reddy, Captain Praveen, Preethi Madhu, Minakshi Khati, Anuradha Pal, Prashant Keshari, Vaishnavi Sharma, Rajeev Pulavar and Rajat Jain, each offering unique perspectives aligned with the day’s theme.
Humans For Humanity is a grassroots non-profit working across India to improve menstrual hygiene, sanitation and the overall dignity of women and girls. Through its WASH Project and community-led initiatives, the organisation builds sustainable, inclusive and informed ecosystems around menstrual health.
