New Delhi: As the world marks Menstrual Hygiene Day today, the reel life PadMan Akshay Kumar along with his co-actor Radhika Apte share posts on their social media spreading awareness about menstruation. In 2018, both the actors were seen in R Balki directed film PadMan, a movie based on the social innovator Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented the machine to manufacture low cost sanitary pads for women in rural India without access to hygiene products. Akshay Kumar, who essayed the role of Arunachalam Muruganantham in the film shared a still from the film and said, “Happy Menstrual Hygiene Day to all the girls, mothers and sisters. Let’s all help every girl child feel hygienic, safe and confident every day of the month.”
See Akshay Kumar’s Post
Happy #MenstrualHygieneDay to all the Girls, Mothers and Sisters. Lets all help every girl child feel Hygienic, Safe & Confident every day of the month #Period ???????? pic.twitter.com/Id7sVHFYS0
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) May 28, 2019
Actor Akshay Kumar has always been vocal about the cause, he has also undertaken an initiative of introducing 60 sanitary napkins vending machine in Maharashtra along with Yuva Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray.
Actor Radhika Apte, who played the role of Akshay Kumar’s wife in PadMan, too shared a still from the movie and said: “Happy menstrual hygiene day. May 28.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx_9gsgnLeF/?utm_source=ig_embed
Twinkle Khanna who produced PadMan and wrote Arunachalam Muruganantham’s life story in a book named The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad also shared a post and said, “On Menstrual Hygiene Day, let us celebrate the original Indian superhero: Arunachalam Muruganantham.”
On #MenstrualHygieneDay, let us celebrate the original Indian superhero: Arunachalam Muruganantham. Read his story
The Sanitary Man from a Sacred Land from @mrsfunnybones #TheLegendOfLakshmiPrasad only on our app! https://t.co/Uv7SV56bZT pic.twitter.com/Ihs9Z8sYJG— juggernautbooks (@juggernautbooks) May 28, 2019
On the other hand, Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar who has been spreading awareness about menstrual hygiene in India using her platform and her initiative Project Shakti tweeted, “If you’ve got the gear, then there’s nothing to fear!!! #MenstrualHygieneDay”
If you’ve got the gear, then there’s nothing to fear!!! #MenstrualHygieneDay pic.twitter.com/v69iVEoPql
— Manushi Chhillar (@ManushiChhillar) May 28, 2019
Lack Of Awareness About Menstruation In India
As per the National Family Health Survey 2015-2016, out of 336 million menstruating women in India about 121 million, which is about mere 36 percent women, are using sanitary napkins. Apart from this, according to a report by the NGO Dasra titled ‘Spot On!’ almost 23 million girls in India drop out of school annually, because of lack of menstrual hygiene management facilities.
Also Read: Menstrual Hygiene Day Facts: Only 36 Percent Of The Women In India Use Sanitary Pads During Periods
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
