For her Hollins independent research project, Gangwani is creating an environmentally friendly sanitary pad made from sisal and other sustainable products plentiful in her home region of Indore, India. With research from her January Term at a nonprofit focused on menstrual inequity in Kolkata, India, and with Abubakarr Jalloh’s guidance—he was her faculty advisor—she is hoping to create a functional prototype to distribute commercially in her community.

PHOTO: Charvi’s advocacy for mental health awareness and the need to combat the stigma surrounding mental health challenges earned her an invitation to a celebration of the International Day of the Girl held in Washington, D.C., last fall. Organized by the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy, and the Office of Global Youth Issues at the U.S. Department of State, the event highlighted the achievements of young women worldwide and featured discussions on critical issues impacting today’s youth.

In January, I witnessed women and girls in rural and urban areas, particularly those living at or below the poverty line, using clothes and tent tarps to manage their periods due to the high cost of commercial pads. Simply distributing period products sporadically is not a sustainable solution. I interviewed experts at Pad Care, an Indian company that recycles pads using patented technology, and researched sustainable and cost-effective solutions.

At Hollins this past spring, with funding from the Beatrice E. Gushee/Janet L. MacDonald Endowed Fund and the Warren W. Hobbie Ethics and Service Endowment, I prototyped and tested sustainable menstrual pads made from hemp, flax, bamboo, and sisal. I was accepted into the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Christian Dior’s Women at Dior program, where I am paired with a mentor to guide me. I am using the open-source absorbency protocol used by the Prakash Lab along with the Plant Pad Consortium, which focuses on decentralized production using locally abundant resources to address period poverty and reduce plastic waste. This past summer in India, I conducted an analysis of the environmental impact of material availability in my home region. Sisal is easily cultivated in dry regions with limited water resources. I created my prototype pad and am testing user feedback this fall to refine design and functionality. I hope to submit my final prototype this December for the Women at Dior and UNESCO global conference.

Disposable menstrual products contribute significantly to plastic waste. As a part of HAPPI, I raised awareness about the environmental impact and facilitated discussions to brainstorm sustainable menstrual hygiene products and gather feedback from the Hollins community. A 2018 European Journal of Sustainable Development study notes that an average menstruator generates 150 kg [331 lbs.] of non-biodegradable waste from menstrual products annually. By developing sustainable pads using locally available plant fibers, I hope to address both the affordability and environmental issues associated with menstrual hygiene.

I would love to create a functional, biodegradable pad to commercially distribute in my community. I also plan to donate a percentage of the profits to menstruating individuals in war-torn areas or places where menstrual products are not readily accessible. Everyone deserves access to safe, affordable, and sustainable menstrual care that is also kinder to our planet.

In mid-winter, an anonymous Hollins student posted on Instagram that they would begin providing free tampons and pads in a handful of bathrooms around campus. Self-dubbed the Hollins Period Fairy—the name is inspired by their mom proclaiming that “the period fairy came” after buying menstrual products—this person (maybe it’s a few people?) kept three bathrooms stocked with supplies. Because finding a tampon on campus shouldn’t be a mystery.

HAPPI doesn’t claim this home-grown initiative, but it’s certainly a happy coincidence during the launch of HAPPI’s period poverty awareness campaign. Follow the Hollins Period Fairy on Instagram @hollinsperiodfairy.