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Message: <blockquote data-quote="other guy" data-source="post: 22822504" data-attributes="member: 502635">THERE have been some weird social media campaigns over the years, but this might be one of the strangest.Thousands of people are joining the #PadManChallenge movement to destigmatise menstrual health by posting pictures of themselves with sanitary pads.The campaign began in India, where menstrual health is a real problem. Women are often forced to use old newspapers, rags, hay, sawdust, sand or ash because only 12 per cent of women have access to sanitary products.The Indian ministry of health estimates that 70 per cent of women are at risk of severe infection because of this.And it’s not just in India that “period poverty” is an issue. UNICEF estimates that one in 10 female African students “do not attend school during menstruation” because of stigma, lack of facilities and a lack of sanitary products.Even in the West, millions of women living in poverty, or close to it, cannot afford tampons and pads.The campaign comes ahead of the release of PadMan, an Bollywood film detailing the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented sanitary pad-making machines and raised awareness about old-fashioned, unhygienic practices around menstruation in rural India.A welder by trade, Mr Muruganantham set about creating affordable sanitary pads after discovering that his wife, Shanthi, had been using dirty rags during her periods.“I wouldn’t use that cloth to clean my vehicle,” Mr Muruganantham, 55, told The Guardian.“When I asked her why, she said we would have to cut half of our milk budget to buy sanitary pads.“I went to the pharmacy to buy her the pads as a gift. The shop assistant wrapped it in newspaper like it was a smuggled item.“It was only 10 grams of cotton, but cost 40 times its worth. I thought of how most women in rural areas couldn’t afford them.“I wanted to change my wife from unhygienic to hygienic practices during menstruation. Everything started from my wife and now it’s gone global.”According to the country’s ministry of health, nearly a quarter of Indian girls stay away from school during their period and the poor education surrounding the menstruation is widespread.“In India, 71 per cent of girls report having no knowledge of menstruation before their first period,” a recent report from the ministry states.“Girls often turn to their mothers for information and support, but 70 per cent of mothers consider menstruation ‘dirty’, further perpetuating taboos.”The report shows that, during menstruation, girls are often asked to stay away from religious spaces, kept in isolation, not allowed to play outside, or even go to school.In August last year, a 12-year-old in Tamil Nadu killed herself after being humiliated by a teacher in front of her class when she accidentally bled through her uniform.“Girls have reported feeling anxious, guilty and shocked due to lack of information about menstruation,” the report reads.Mr Muruganantham said he hopes the campaign and movie will break down the stigma around the subject in India.“The film will create more awareness,” he told The Guardian. “We still have a huge task ahead, but things are changing. I’m ecstatic to be known as pad man, as it makes a difference to women’s lives.”The #PadManChallenge movement is sweeping Bollywood, as celebrities jump on board to pose for pictures.“No shame. No humiliation. Cos it’s natural, right?” wrote one Twitter user.“Yes, that’s a pad in my hand & that’s not something to be ashamed about,” wrote another.</blockquote>

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