International Journal of Business and Economics Volume 20, No. 1 June, 2021

Moving Towards Menstrual Hygiene: Awareness and Acceptance of Sanitary Napkins at Bottom of the Pyramid

Tavishi Tewary

Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Vranda Jain

Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Nandini Agarwal

Uttam School for Girls, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

India has a large population of women in the reproductive age group of 10-50 years. Since menstruation is linked with the child-bearing capability of women, maintaining proper menstrual hygiene-practices is of vital importance. This research paper has explored the menstrual-related hygiene practices of women in the lower-income bracket, with particular reference to the usage of disposable sanitary napkins during menstruation in the Indian context. The study uses Smart PLS to analyze inter-linkages among educational awareness, healthcare facilities, and usage of sanitary napkins. Both the variables were found to have a significant impact on the usage of sanitary products during menstruation. The findings of this study suggest that improved educational awareness and better healthcare facilities can enhance the usage of sanitary napkins. It will pave the way for policy guidelines needed to improve the health conditions of women in lower segments of society.

Keywords：Menstruation, Woman Hygiene, India, Awareness, Bottom of Pyramid.

JEL Classifications：I31, H51, H52, O21.

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