CHANDIGARH, India : Espousing the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards ensuring menstrual hygiene and affordable access to sanitary napkins, Chandigarh Welfare Trust (CWT) and NID foundation on Monday (October 2) set a new Guinness World Record for the world’s largest distribution of sanitary packets in 24 hours. Rishi Nath, official adjudicator, Guinness World Records, awarded the certificate to Chancellor Chandigarh University & CWT founder, Satnam Singh Sandhu in the ceremony at Chandigarh.
As many as 1.25 lakh packets of Biodegradable sanitary napkins are being distributed in 24 hours. Each packet comprised of 4 sanitary napkins taking the total count of sanitary napkins to 5 lakhs. CWT and NID foundation dedicated the Guinness world record to the 73rd birthday of PM Modi for his immense contribution towards ensuring affordable access to sanitary napkins for adolescent girls and women and his efforts for the empowerment of women.
The event was attended by a huge number of community leaders, members of different NGOs and religious leaders.
On the occasion, Rishi Nath, said that a new record has been created by Chandigarh Welfare Trust and NID foundation today for the world’s largest distribution of sanitary packets in 24 hours. “I have awarded the certificate to the CWT founder and congratulated them for achieving this feat,” he said.
With this, CWT also launched its campaign ‘Kanyavrat’, which is aimed towards ensuring the easy access to and use of high-quality sanitary products by adolescent girls and women in Chandigarh and its peripheral areas. ‘Kanyavrat’ also aims at creating awareness among adolescent girls about safe and hygienic menstrual health practices. The drive is a part of CWT’s ‘Sewa Pakhwada’, which began on the 73rd birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17.
Chandigarh University Chancellor & CWT founder Satnam Singh Sandhu, said that the record was dedicated to PM Modi for breaking the age-old taboo around menstruation and leading a nationwide campaign for affordable access to sanitary napkins and promoting menstrual hygiene. “This is the initiative to celebrate the 73rd birthday of PM Modi in a unique way as he is the first prime minister to address menstrual health as a public health issue that led to a renewed focus on the important issue. He is the first Indian PM who spoke of menstrual hygiene in his Independence Day address in 2020, which won him applauds,” he said.
Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chancellor Chandigarh University & CWT founder also said that during the last nine years Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unwavering commitment to empower women has transformed the lives of millions in the country. “He has made the daughters of the country ‘Self-reliant’. There has been an increased focus on ensuring menstrual health and hygiene among adolescent girls ever since PM Modi took office in 2014. The ‘Janaushadhi Suvidha’ scheme is PM Modi’s gift for women to live a hygienic life,” said Satnam Singh Sandhu, adding that his government has managed to provide affordable sanitary napkins to poor women through Jan Aushadhi centres for just one rupee each.
“As many as 9303 Janaushadhi Kendras in the country are leading women to live a healthy life. The government introduced the ‘Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin’ at Re. 1 to ensure accessible and affordable menstrual hygiene for Indian women. Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), Poshan Abhiyan, and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) are some other revolutionary initiatives taken by PM Modi to ensure healthy life of women,” said Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chancellor Chandigarh University & CWT founder.
Meanwhile, Poonam Kothari, a member of Om Mahadev Kawad Seva Dal, appreciated the initiative taken by CWT and NID Foundation to provide awareness and menstrual hygiene among young girls and women in Chandigarh. She said, “Discussing about Menstruation openly has always been a social taboo in Indian society, due to which women have suffered from health issues and remained deprived of good menstrual health products. Lack of good menstrual education and ignorance of menstrual hygiene can stall the overall growth of young girls and become a hindrance in their growth. Our society needs to change its attitude about menstruation, which is essentially a physiological process in women, to ensure the overall progress of the Nation.”
For the distribution of Sanitary packets, Chandigarh Welfare Trust has joined hands with 16 NGOs. Besides the distribution at the launch venue, sanitary packets will be in the colonies, slum areas and villages in Chandigarh with the help of NGOs and student volunteers.
