Padman of Jharkhand advocates stronger menstrual health systems at 5th MHM India Summit

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Nov 23: The 5th MHM India Summit 2025 was held on Friday at Hotel Shangri-La Eros, New Delhi, bringing together hundreds of representatives from social organisations, CSR professionals, menstrual hygiene product manufacturers and activists working on menstrual health and women’s empowerment across India. The event was organised by Gramalaya, a Tamil Nadu–based organisation led by Padma Shri Sai Damodaram and Preeti Damodaram, designated as a Key Resource Centre by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Representing Jharkhand, Tarun Kumar—widely known as the “Padman of Jharkhand” and founder of Nischay Foundation—was invited as a speaker. During a session on strategies to improve menstrual health education in schools and communities, he highlighted the urgent need for accessible resources and continuous awareness efforts in rural areas. “Adolescents undergo hormonal changes and need timely guidance on menstrual health and gender issues,” he said. “Without correct information and support, their mental and emotional development is adversely affected.”

Tarun stressed the necessity of establishing pad banks and MHM resource centres in every school. He also spoke about impactful grassroots campaigns such as ‘Ek Pad, Ek Ped’ for menstrual and environmental awareness, ‘Period and Science’ to promote scientific understanding and ‘Mixed-Gender Cricket’ to push gender equality. “Replicating these initiatives on a larger scale can bring global change even with limited resources,” he noted.

The session was moderated by Geeta Solanki of Unipad India, with experts Sandy Khanda (Green Pencil Foundation), Neeraj Gera (Humanify Foundation) and Nisha Jaiswal (Sudisha Foundation) sharing their insights.

A team of bikers who travelled nearly 5,000 km from Tiruchirappalli to New Delhi to promote menstrual hygiene awareness drew significant attention at the summit. Interacting with them, Tarun said, “For grassroots workers like us, even a motorcycle becomes a tool to reach remote villages and spread awareness with minimal resources.”