New Delhi, October 2, 2022: It was a small CSR gesture but gave a bold message that corporations no longer sit back when people fearlessly counter government authorities and question their social and public policies.
The same was evident when Indian sanitary pad manufacturing company PAN Healthcare took side of the young girl who was made fun of at a workshop in Bihar by a senior IAS officer on asking for affordable sanitary pads in schools.
The company has come forward to support the public discourse on menstruation. As a small gesture of solidarity, the company has offered a year-long free supply of sanitary pads to the 20-year old girl named Riya Kumari, for speaking up on a topic which is still considered as a taboo in Indian society.
Chirag Pan, CEO of PAN Healthcare, said, "Menstrual hygiene has been considered a taboo subject discussed in hushed voices for generations. This must change. We need many more girls to come forward and boldly demand open discussions about period bleeding. We salute Riya's courage to speak up on this subject on a public platform with confidence. A year's supply of Everteen's neem and safflower sanitary pads is just a small token of our appreciation for her conviction to put an end to the bloody hypocrisy around menstruation that pervades society at large. We will also bear the cost of her education fees through her graduation."
Earlier, the incident took place in Patna where the schoolgirl raised her concern demanding affordable menstrual hygiene products for the underprivileged girls and women of slums during an event. To her plea, the IAS officer Harjot Kaur Bhamra commented if “she wanted condoms too”.
At the state-level workshop organized in collaboration with UNICEF, the IAS officer reprimanded schoolgirls who requested that the government, which provides free bicycles and school uniforms, should also consider providing free sanitary pads.
"My question (on sanitary pads) wasn't wrong. They aren't a big thing; I can buy, but many live in slums and can't afford them. So, I asked not just for myself, but for all girls. We went there to keep our concern and not to fight," Riya Kumari was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.
The IAS officer’s comments have been criticized widely across various circles. Furthermore, after the episode was reported to the National Commission for Women (NCW), the body has asked the IAS officer for an explanation within seven days. Later on, Bhamra has apologized for her inappropriate remarks.
