Innovation

Ms. Ria Patil Chandray the owner of Gia Industries started Josa sanitary pads which are manufactured locally and are biodegradable. While she was nominated as the ambassador for Nirmal Raksha Abhiyan she came to know biodegradable sanitary pads. Due to her background in engineering she was able to discover that these pads in actuality are not biodegradable. After this experience, she started to think about how to make sanitary pads that are biodegradable. Then she come up with Josa sanitary pads which are 100% biodegradable and are made up of corn. The box of sanitary pads is made of paper which is fully biodegradable, and the sanitary pads are made up of 8 sheets which in turn is made up of corn starch and cotton. It's not only good for environment but it is also great for female hygiene by protecting from rashes, chemicals, diseases, and any skin irritation.

The Josa Sanitary pads cover many of the UN SDGs like SDG 1 No Poverty and SDG 5 Gender Equality by providing employment to Indian rural females, SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation by providing chemical free products which causes no irritation rashes to females and also save chances from having cancer.

In rural India the use of sanitary pads is not prevalent. Most of the females still uses clothes during their period. Two main reasons for this are lack of education and costly sanitary pads. Josa provides sanitary pads at competitive prices and also conducts many education campaigns about female hygiene. The enterprise is producing responsibly and hence advancing SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production. It is also saving the land with biodegradable sanitary pads and thereby contributing to SDG 15 Life on Land.

Inspiration

Ms. Riya Patil decided to launch Eco-friendly sanitary napkins because most Indian women make napkins out of cotton cloth as a minimal, home-made answer to their period hygiene and comfort needs. The fabric pads created at home are cleaned and reused. However they lack the absorption and liquid retention capabilities of sanitary napkins, they may be unsanitary and uncomfortable. Using cloth during periods is linked to a very high risk of cervical cancer. The statistics are alarming: 98 out of 100 women are at risk of developing cervical cancer by using cloth pads over an extended period of time, which can subsequently spread to other regions of the body. Women and even adolescent girls make this exceedingly unsafe and unsanitary choice every month due to financial constraints and a lack of understanding of the danger.

Ms. Chandray has carried her responsibilities as an ambassador for Nirmal Raksha Abhiyan one step further by founding Gia Industries, a local business that makes high-quality, biodegradable sanitary pads. She has taken up the much-needed task of raising hygiene awareness among women of all ages, across all segments of society, via her personal participation with numerous communities, self-help groups, social welfare clubs, and other public/private organizations.

Overall impact

Girls belonging to the lower and middle-income families struggle a lot to maintain good menstrual hygiene due to the unaffordability of sanitary pads. This can however lead to many unforeseen problems. Further, lack of adequate disposal facilities worsens the situation and leads to environmental pollution. Therefore, the provision of biodegradable and cost-effective menstrual hygiene products and solve both problems. We found the solution to this problem when we spoke to the founder, Ms. Ria Patil, the solution is not only cost-effective but environmentally friendly as well. She has gone a step further and she produces high-quality, biodegradable sanitary pads. She has taken the responsibility to spread awareness through campaigns on #SafeResponsible hygiene practices among women of all age groups. The innovation of using corn into the making of corn pads is eco-friendly to the environment thus maintaining the circular economy unlike others. As per the research, using an eco-friendly pad made out of corn is safe for the skin and is scientifically tested. Their vision is to bring high-quality, affordable sanitary pads to women across all segments of society & across all ages while bringing fulfilling a social need to build awareness among lesser-privileged women in our country.

Business benefit

Use of completely biodegradable raw materials available at a price comparatively lower than the regular pads, makes the product a perfect replacement of their synthetic counterparts. According to the reviews from customers, the product has proven to be better on the scale of comfort.

Non-degradable wastes are the major issues that have caused disruptions in our ecosystem. Reducing consumption of polythene, plastics and products in similar categories, is the primary concern of environmental activists. Introduction of biodegradable consumer goods have always attracted smart customers. The organization has successfully gained significant customer base over a short duration of 14 months, this proves high potential of the product to establish a strong recognition in near future.

Corn is the 3rd largest crop produced in India, contributing to almost 9% of the natural food basket. Use of corn as prominent ingredient in the manufacturing of these pads, creates a potentially high market for the corn cultivating farmers of India, which will result in reduction of net imports of materials used for sanitary products.

The social activism created by the organization, to influence the rural women by making them aware of the sanitary pads, adds to the contributions of Josa towards the society. Considering the social, environmental and economical benefits of this product, it has high potential to be the next market leader sanitary pads.

Social and environmental benefit

This innovation aims at betterment of women in two ways as well as takes a step forward towards promoting sustainable environment.

India has one of the lowest levels of penetration of sanitary pad usage in the world. The founder of this company felt that there was a need to promote the importance of healthy sanitary napkins while taking care of the environment

This innovation apart from helping women in providing good health, also helps rural women with employment. Mrs. Ria Patil makes rural women aware of the sanitary hygienic pads and gives them an opportunity to earn by making them distributors in rural area. Pads are sold at lower price in the rural area.

Mission of this innovation is to provide every woman affordable sanitary pads made with quality, comfort and high hygiene standards.

Due to the usage of biodegradable raw material, the business also contributes towards sustainable practices to protect the environment.

Interview

Ria Patil Chandray, Founder