TL;DR - Help me raise money for the Sukhibhava Foundation, which focuses on providing access to education on menstruation/affordable sanitary pads to women and girls from underprivileged communities in India as well as setting up up women-led entrepreneurships, thereby facilitating their empowerment!
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For my birthday this year, I’d love for all of my friends and family to donate to a cause close to my heart rather than buy me drinks/dinner/gifts. My goal is $5,000, which will provide access to this program for 350 girls.

The Sukhibhava Foundation has served 17,000 women and adolescent girls in India. They are focused on accessibility and distribution of eco-friendly menstrual hygiene products, keeping in mind sustainability and women’s health. They collaborate with innovative organizations who believe in manufacturing bio-degradable sanitary napkins, menstrual cups and reusable cloth pads.

“We are of the opinion that there are people focussing on manufacturing various menstrual hygiene products, however, we acknowledge that the burden of being eco-friendly or sustainable should not fall on women who are struggling to access basic menstrual hygiene.”

The Sukhibhava Foundation also creates economic opportunity for women in rural areas by helping them set up sustainable micro-businesses. The team has teamed up with sanitary pad manufacturers that subsidize costs. Team Sukhibhava gets a pack of 8 pads for for Rs.25 ($0.36) instead of Rs.45 ($0.64). The team identifies women living within underpriviledged communities to become micro-entrepreneurs. Women are trained to conduct awareness sessions and distribute pads. Sukhibhava supports these micro-entrepreneurs for three months helping them build their network. A micro-entrepreneur earns Rs.5 ($0.07) for every pack sold.

Facts & Figures:

• The overall literacy rate in India is 82%, but the female population’s literacy rate at 65%. More than a quarter of Indian women are illiterate. 
• 1 in 4 Indian girls do not go to school during their cycle. 23 million Indian girls annually, drop out of school due to lack of access to sanitary items and stigma around menstruation. 
• 300 million women in India (that’s the population of the United States, for comparison) lack access to basic menstruation resources. 
• A 2014 UNICEF report pointed out that in Tamil Nadu, 79 per cent girls and women were unaware of menstrual hygiene practices. The percentage was 66% in Uttar Pradesh, 56% in Rajasthan and 51% in West Bengal.
• Studies have indicated that female literacy is a strong predictor of the use of contraception among married Indian couples

This rate has had an incredibly negative impact on family planning/use of contraceptives and population stabilization in India all stemming from women being unable to achieve economic independence. A UN report places India at 130 out of 155 countries on the Gender Inequality Index. The solution to fixing this gap lies in empowering women and girls.

Article: Sukhibhava Foundation Impact