According a written report posted by Allied marketing research in 2016, the worldwide feminine hygiene items market is likely to experience a revenue folks $42.7 billion in 2022.
The Asia-Pacific area has also been predicted to end up being the market that is largest of these services and products in 2015.
But, also with all that revenue being generated, pockets of girls in communities across the world nevertheless don’t have admission to these services and products; or even even worse, don’t even understand how to approach their cycles that are monthly.
Singapore-based serial business owner Kanika Agarwal (26) noticed this firsthand whenever her helper back Asia said that her 2 daughters, 12 and 14, will be assisting her in cleaning homes to make more money.
“This is normal in India, however the explanation she gave ended up beingn’t a usual one,” explained Kanika.
“When her (the helper) older daughter began menstruating, she had stained her uniform inside her college. Simply because they cannot pay for nor are educated about sanitary napkins, her garments had been completely spoilt.”
The little girl didn’t understand what to complete and had been scolded in school for carrying out a deed’ that is‘wrong.
“My helper – their mother – neither understood nor supported your ex, not to mention their father. She had to avoid college. That’s when I was hit by it, moms are restricting their daughters.”
Celebration of Menstrual Hygiene in India / Image Credit: The Wire day
This is contrary to Kanika’s very own mom, whom told her that periods had been “a beautiful thing to embrace, a particular power of offering life”.
More to the point, durations must not prevent a woman’s aspirations or plans.
Spurred on to searching further to the situation in Asia, Kanika learned that 80% of girls don’t usage sanitary napkins, 70% can’t afford menstrual materials, and 23% fall away from college due to the not enough usage of a lavatory at school to handle their durations.
The thing is pushing enough that we’ve already heard tales about others who came ahead to provide their own solutions.
For instance, the spouse whom braved scrutiny and gossip to create low priced sanitary napkins for their spouse and females in Asia, additionally the trio of Singapore siblings from Freedom Cups whom donate a menstrual glass to a female in a underpriviledged community with every one offered.
The Freedom Cups group when you look at the Philippines / Image Credit: Freedom Cups
Kanika’s option would be Fempeers, a social enterprise which also deals with the buy-1-give-1 system, albeit with a subscription twist that is monthly.
I had a speak to Kanika, and discovered out more about Fempeers’ objective, in addition to larger eyesight of making an ecosystem where females can embrace every part of the womanhood – both the negative and positive.
Making A ‘She For She’ Movement
Created in brand brand New Dehli, Kanika stumbled on Singapore during 2009, where a Bachelor’s was completed by her level in Engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
After graduation, she got a begin in her job at Microsoft Singapore.
Nevertheless, planning to “make something of her very own in her job, a legacy she can keep behind”, she became her very own employer 24 months ago, beginning Passion Peers, a digital change agency.
Image Credit: Passion Peers
“Today, it is an award winning agency servicing over 15 international firm customers in Southeast Asia and India,” she beamed.
Nevertheless, the committed self-starter still couldn’t sleep effortless, specially after hearing concerning the predicament of females in Asia.
“I realised that the full time had been now, or else it’ll be too late.”
I needed to make the lives associated with the ladies in Singapore just a little easier specially in their duration so which they could pamper on their own, while assisting girls in rural villages to begin their menstrual hygiene journey.
Calling her brand new venture ‘Fempeers’, she explained that the group desired to place a spin in the established ‘He for She’ concept.
“We believed that the ‘She for She’ concept had been much more important once we should encourage females to face up for every single other and become supportive of just one another.”
Image Credit: Fempeers
“This ‘She for She’ concept is not one which we come across frequently within the world that is real. I really believe that people want to start that culture. ”
A mum increasing her child by having an available head that durations cannot deter her – this only makes her more powerful. Or perhaps buddy supporting another friend and giving her the encouragement that she requires.
Kanika dedicates Fempeers to her mom, who had previously been saving up cash for decades in order for an NGO could be run by her after her your your retirement.
“She has been doing a role that is corporate three decades now,” revealed Kanika.
For them to understand and care for their own health.“ I will be simply hoping i will make it become a reality, where she’s going to be physically taking good care of the training aspect for the beneficiaries, and we’ll additionally be building a secure spot”
Developing A Personalised, Affordable Monthly Period Companion
For Kanika, purchasing a month-to-month membership model had been a no-brainer, given the way the regularity coincides having a female’s cycle that is menstrual.
But, she admitted that applying it successfully wasn’t as simple as it appears.
“Its core is relationship and a beneficial experience.”
Drawing motivation from Grab when it comes to “being agile, releasing https://www.latinwomen.net/ solutions in beta, trying out, and introducing quickly” they swiftly went from ideation in May to official launch in December.
A Fempeers kit / Image Credit: Ashy Clair
For $32 a thirty days, members can get to get 12 things – sanitary pads or tampons (dependent on their preference), goodies like tea and treats, to even yoga and activity cards.
The tote case that holds the time kit also differs from month-to-month, each creating a bold declaration “so every woman can wear their periods noisy and proud”.
“We focus on a standard kit … but then it’s already first level of personalisation if a customer requests us to send a fruity flavor. Our aim is always to go in a whole lot more level with your future technology platforms.”
Image Credit: @sitilogy
My concept would be to build a kit that is undoubtedly your duration friend, something which are going to be to you anywhere you go to ensure you’ll usually have your materials at an arm’s length.
Kanika shared that presently, Fempeers is bootstrapped by her money that is own around $50,000 happens to be placed into the company to date.
“We’ll be quickly starting a seed financing round,” she included.