We all have heard of Arunachalam Muruganantham – ‘Pad Man of India’ but now read about a girl who is doing the same and is famously accorded with the title ‘Pad Girl’ of Odisha by the people of her village. Baisakhi Jena has started her own sanitary napkin-making business in her small village Jajpur, Odisha.
Who Is Baisakhi Jena?
Baisakhi Jena was born and brought up in Chandikhole; a place in Jajpur district, Odisha. She is the only daughter of Basudev Jena, a well-known sports teacher of the area and Bijaylakhmi Jena. She has done her MMC in Biotech from Vellore University and after that, she was working in Bangalore. But, unlike many other people of her age who are interested in making a name for themselves, Our pad girl wanted to give back to her society.
She wanted to work for the development of the women of her village. She left her high-profile job of three years and came back with the sole purpose to improve the situation of women’s health in her own village. Having seen herself how her own mother and the women in her society suffered because women of that time didn’t know about sanitary pads. She was disturbed to know that women of her village still use a scrap of cloth in place of a sanitary pad.
On one hand, the government of Kerala introduced a menstrual cup campaign, while on the other hand in her village women were still unaware of the obvious use of sanitary pads. Also, those who knew about it were hesitant to use it for one big reason – the monthly expenditure on the commercial sanitary pads available in the market. As a girl, she very well understood that this was an inescapable need but she was not sure how to help the women of her village.
Creation of “Flowra”
It was at this moment she decided to take the matter into her own hands and was moved to start her own business. Baisakhi Jena started her own sanitary pads-making business in Jajpur . The pad girl’s inclination towards her society and the zeal to become self-reliant became her driving strengths.
This Odisha girl Baisakhi was alarmed by the situation of the menstrual hygiene of women of her village and the risk to their health. Therefore, to be able to help her society she started her own business ‘Flowra’ and was fondly called the Pad Girl by her village people for her initiative for women’s health.
Baisakhi Jena Pad Girl’s Aim for ‘Flowra’
The main aim for starting the business for Baisakhi Jena was to make low-cost sanitary pads for women so that everyone can afford that in her village. Baisakhi Jena also assures that hygiene is given the utmost importance in her products.
The Pad Girl believes that women are the backbone of the society and they should be self-reliant and independent. Baisakhi has provided job opportunities for the women of her village through her own company so that they become self-reliant and financially independent. More than 10 women are employed right now in her company. The pad girl proudly says that with her company she has not only provided employment opportunities to women but has also given them the training to make their own sanitary napkins which has helped them in being self-reliant and self-sufficient at the same time.
Not only that, but the sanitary pad girl creator also wants to bring awareness of menstrual hygiene among the young girls and women of her village. So, she has started self-help groups for women in her area so that women can rely on each other and uplift each other. This pad girl of Orissa is trying every bit of her strength in creating a safe and hygienic environment for her fellow ladies, that’s what women empowerment does. Right? There are 7 sanitary pads companies that are sustainable, green and more comfortable than the existing options.
Mad4India hunt the whole jungle of criticism, negativity and wrong to find the flowers of positivity and inspiration, this pad girl of Orissa is a flower among many discovered by mad4india. Discover more with us. Praise more heroes of good India.
Feature Image- Canva
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