Equip Rural Indian Women to Build Livelihoods

Jagrutiben, a 33-year-old woman living in Dharshana, Gujarat, India, benefitted immensely from the Asani program. She is married with two children (girls) and is currently working as a distribution specialist in the program, earning Rs.2000 (approximately $30) per month. Prior to joining the program, her role was limited to a homemaker who couldn’t travel to the city for the job due to unavailability of transport facilities and familial responsibilities - taking care of her husband, in-laws and children.

Asani gave her a platform to learn new skills, grow professionally and become an earning member of her family. Her monthly family income is in the range of Rs.10,000-15,000 ($120-$130), which is on the higher end for a family living in rural India.

Today, Jagruti is an independent and confident woman who is performing two roles- financially supporting her family, and helping women and girls learn about the importance of menstrual hygiene and management. As a mother, she ensures that her daughters are aware of what is a period and have access to safe sanitary napkins, unlike her.

Asani has helped many like Jagruti to learn about menstrual hygiene and the health benefits of using safe sanitary napkins. It has cultivated dignity in them by making them financially independent. It has not only resulted in enhanced knowledge on MHM but has also provided livelihood opportunities to women who are restricted to their household chores due to traditional norms or scarce options. We have reached out to 3,000 women alone in Gujarat and are planning to scale the same model to other Indian states by end of 2019.