Mon Jan 13 01:33:00 UTC 2025: ## Autorickshaw Drivers in Bengaluru Offer Sanitary Pads, Breaking Menstrual Taboo
**Bengaluru, January 13, 2025** – A novel initiative in Bengaluru is making sanitary pads readily available to women in need, tackling both period poverty and the stigma surrounding menstruation. The “Kshema” program, launched by the Sakriya Charitable Trust and supported by Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, equips autorickshaws with sanitary pad vending machines.
Approximately ten autorickshaw drivers, including well-known driver Azzu Sulthan, have already installed the dispensers in their vehicles. The Trust aims to expand the program to more autorickshaws, particularly those driven by women. Minister Reddy lauded the initiative as a nationwide first, expressing support for corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs that might further expand access.
The initiative has garnered significant positive feedback on social media. Women have praised the convenience and the potential to reduce the taboo surrounding periods. One local employee, Vaishnavi K., highlighted the frustration of unexpected periods away from home and welcomed the readily available pads, suggesting expansion to public transportation such as buses and metro stations. The program offers a practical solution to a common problem, improving accessibility and challenging societal norms around menstruation.
First Piper 