This article was taken from the February 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
There are 355 million menstruating women in India, but only about 12 percent use sanitary pads. The rest, says Jaydeep Mandal, 28, founder of Delhi-based startup Aakar Innovations, face five days a month stuck in a room or use rags, ash and bark so they can work.
In 2011 Mandal founded Aakar, aiming to revolutionise the sanitary-pad market in India. He began with India's first low-tech pad machine, which was invented in the late 90s by Arunachalam Muruganantham. There were problems: "The pads often tore and the sealing machine gave them a sharp edge," explains Mandal, and women preferred the 8-shape of commercial pads. After two years, Aakar came up with a low-energy "mini factory", which takes local agricultural by-products -- such as banana stems and bamboo -- and grinds them into powder. This is weighed into 7.5g units and shaped by a press that one woman can operate.
Biodegradable filters are heat-sealed to the pad, which is sterilised under ultraviolet light for 20 minutes. Five women can produce about 1,500 to 2,500 pads per day. Says Mandal: "It is important that the women have a stake in the business."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
