UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, and WaterAid India, an international not-for-profit determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation, are supporting Run4Niine – the nationwide initiative to spread awareness on menstrual hygiene awareness this International Women’s Day.
Run4Niine, India’s largest nationwide run taking place in over 500 cities in over 20 states in India to end taboos around menstruation, will be flagged off from Lucknow, at 6:00am, Sahara Shaher on 8th March to mark International Women’s Day.
An initiative by Niine Sanitary Napkins, the made-in-India affordable yet premium sanitary napkins brand, Run4Niine is supported by the Niine Movement which launched thenationwide #18to82 campaign movement to bridge the gap between the 18% of menstruating females in India who use sanitary napkins, and the 82% predominantly engaging in unhygienic and unsafe alternatives such as old cloths, rags, hay and even ash.
Speaking about the importance of menstrual hygiene awareness, Farrukh Khan, Regional Manager (North), WaterAid India said, “Menstrual hygiene management is an important area of work for WaterAid. We use an approach that is comprehensive and focuses on addressing taboos while also creating an enabling environment to foster change. We believe that the issue needs a holistic approach that addresses all aspects, be it ensuring access to products, infrastructure or safe disposal of waste.”
Run4Niine is also supported by UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. Speaking about the Run4Niine, Nishtha Satyam, Deputy Representative, UN Women India MCO, said “Access to sexual and reproductive services and information is linked to all the aspects of women empowerment. The fact that only 18% of the women in India have access to sanitary napkins is a stark reminder of the efforts required to uproot misinformation at a grassroots level. Menstrual hygiene is also a sanitation matter. We need to provide more WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) facilities for women and girls, so that they can access all spaces in a safe and dignified manner. UN Women is pleased to support Niine Movement’s nationwide ‘Run4Niine’ event taking place this International Women’s Day.”
About Run4Niine
Run4Niine is an initiative by Niine Sanitary Napkins, a challenger brand in the menstrual hygiene sector of India. Co-founded by leading Gorakhpur social-entrepreneurs, Amar Tulsiyan and Gaurav Bathwal andKanpur entrepreneur Sharat Khemka, the brand entered the market with products that have leveraged the innovation and expertise of international experts in the United States who have extensive experience in designing products in the sanitation and hygiene space. Niine Sanitary Napkins is also the first sanitary napkin brand in India, which comes with a disposal bag and the first to launch a Period Tracker app.