When 18-year-old Ishana started her own enterprise which manufactured and sold sanitary napkins made out of cotton fabric, all she had in mind was to do her part in keeping the planet green. That a bunch of women derive self-respect from her venture and are able to be financially independent is just a happy by-product for her.
Ishana runs a venture that makes sanitary napkins that are biodegradable out of cloth. Around 20 women are employed in Ishana’s workshop located in Ganapathi, Coimbatore, where they are given orders every day to cut and stitch sanitary napkins out of cotton fabric. Each tailor stitches around 85 pads a day and is paid on a piece-rate basis. However, beyond environmental benefits and an infection-free menstruation, what Ishana has successfully managed to do is to give the women in and around Ganapathi a sense of empowerment, personally and professionally.
For 33-year-old Raji*, working with Ishana is one of the best things to have happened to her. “I got married when I was 18 years old and this is my first ever job,” she tells TNM.
Raji, who was born and brought up in Pollachi, married a small businessman in Coimbatore and moved to the city. She had discontinued her studies after class 12 and instead learned tailoring from a local shop near her house during her free time. It was this extra skill that helped her when she was feeling the desperate need to step out of the confines of her house and redeem her self-worth.
“It is not as if we were not making ends meet with what my husband brought home. It was more about how I can also contribute to the house financially so that the four of us can lead a comfortable life. Also, I was bored at home doing nothing after sending my children to school. Now I have something to focus on, which also pays me for the effort,” she explains. Raji has two kids and the eldest one is 12 years old. She earns at least Rs 5000 per month, which she spends on herself and her children.
“A random outing or some gifts for the children are all possible now because of this. Since the income is stable, I am able to save a little for our future too which has come of help in times of emergencies,” she says.
Apart from the monetary aspect, Ishana’s workshop also boasts of flexible timings which a few women consider a boon.
Sumathi*, 38, was putting in at least 10 hours of work a day as an office assistant at a private concern in Coimbatore. “Years later, my kids wanted my attention and I had to quit my job so that I could give time to them. It was after a short gap that I found this opportunity and joined Ishana to stitch cloth napkins,” she says.
Sumathi now works from 10.30 am to 3 pm every day. “I then go and pick my daughters up from school and spend some time with them every day. In the evening, if I have time, I will go back and work for an hour or two,” she explains. The amount she receives out of this is sufficient for a tiny savings for her daughters, she adds.
“I don’t think of this as a big deal,” says Ishana when asked about how she feels about empowering many women. “When I started out making cloth pads, I did not imagine it would create a ripple effect like this. I am happy it did, though. We should do more in the coming days,” she adds.
*Names changed on request