There’s no denying that in the last couple of years, the period care industry within the country has grown at a rapid pace. Where once we relied on two or three top market players for their range of sanitary products, we’ve come a long way where we now have a plethora of options to choose from.
One such period care product which has gained prominence over the years is the menstrual cup. It is a type of reusable feminine hygiene product, made out of silicone, and in the shape of a funnel, which collects the fluid when you’re menstruating. Menstruators often use a menstrual cup as an eco-friendly alternative to pads or tampons.
So, what exactly led Ira Guha, founder of Asan Cup, to manufacture and sell menstrual cups in India?
It was a conversation with her domestic worker, Mary, that planted the idea in her head. Mary had missed out on a couple of days of work. Guha, who had recently returned home from London, was quite worried about Mary’s well-being. On her return, she enquired about her health and was shocked to know that Mary had been suffering from terrible rashes and a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) owing to the thick pads that she was using. Guha asked to examine the pads and was appalled at their quality. This is when she suggested that Mary use a menstrual cup, a product Guha herself had been using. Mary was quite eager to try it out, and according to Guha, “The switch was instant. She loved the menstrual cup, and was so comfortable with it that she did not miss a day of work, especially when she was on her period.” Soon the word spread to Mary’s friends and neighbours and they were keen to try a menstrual cup as well.
Almost informally, Guha was bringing back menstrual cups every homecoming and distributing them to domestic workers. Around this time she started her Master’s at Harvard, where she was focused on having a social impact. A discussion with her professors and engineers was centred more toward an improved design (as most people are hesitant to use a menstrual cup due to its design), and social impact. This is where Asan was born.
Through Asan’s journey, Guha has not only managed to meet her goals of a unique design and social impact, as she explains the concept of 1 for 1 donation, but she has also worked hard to eradicate the taboos that most people have about menstrual cups, and more specifically, the usage of menstrual cups in rural India.
Watch her full interview to know about her thought process, Asan’s journey, her thoughts on women in the period care industry, and her message to all the women entrepreneurs on Her Circle.