‘Wings to Fly’- But to Where? Menstrual Hygiene, Marketization and Vulnerability Among Subaltern Women in India

Abstract

In this exploratory study we look at how marketization and marketing of disposable sanitary napkins (DSN) is creating new vulnerabilities among subaltern women of India. A pilot study was done around Auroville near Puducherry in southern India. Our initial findings suggest that there is significant marketization of menstrual hygiene, evident from multiple reports, media coverage, advertisements and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs of leading MNCs and market-making policies of the Indian government. The entire effort is geared to promote DSNs among sections of women who have been using traditional methods like cloth. Good menstrual hygiene practices can lead to improved quality of life for women and young girls. However, the solutions projected through marketization and marketing of DSNs can lead to new problems and vulnerabilities for the subaltern consumer.