Israel’s Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon inaugurated an eco-friendly cost-effective sanitary napkins manufacturing facility in Arthala, Ghaziabad on Tuesday.
“We are proud to be a part of such a great initiative. It is a special project that aims at spreading awareness about menstrual health and hygiene, and building skills and capacity for women,” Ambassador Gilon said.
The initiative is part of the embassy’s activities to mark the 30 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel. Launched in collaboration with Kushii Foundation, Saaras, the initiative, aims to promote wellbeing, menstrual hygiene and awareness among women in Arthala, Ghaziabad.
A sanitary napkin production unit has been set up with the help of MASHAV – the Agency for International Development Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.
Prior to the inauguration of the facility, physicians from the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute attended a menstrual awareness camp.
Harish Gosain, executive director at Khushii Foundation, said, “Feminine wellbeing and cleanliness is very much overseen for a very long time, it has an enormously high potential to add to expanding female strengthening at a basic phase of a young girls’ life.”
“The sanitary pad, Saaras, does not go through any process of refining and chemical washing. It does not contain any artificial fragrance and is an innovative product for rash-free periods at a very affordable price. The machine can produce 10,000 pads per day,” the embassy informed.
From production to distribution, the entire process is managed and executed by a skilled local women’s team.
The project has collaborated with ASHA workers of the Ghaziabad health department who have helped the team with sensitization and mobilization of the community.
“This project represents the values that we, in the Israel Embassy, strive to promote and execute. Together, we have made this world a bit more accessible and easy for women,” Shani Rapoport Estiony, the head of Public Diplomacy at the Israel Embassy said.