Dehradun (India CSR): Sirona collaborated with University of Petroleum And Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun to educate their faculty and staff about the benefits of switching to a menstrual cup for period management and make the varsity India’s first pad-free university.
This program was led by the Sirona Hygiene Foundation that works on such initiatives that promote sustainable menstruation practices amongst menstruators. Dr. Aarushi Kehar Malhotra from the foundation spoke to the educators and housekeeping staff at the University and explained to them the importance of sustainable menstruation – how it positively impacts lifestyle, substantially reduces sanitary waste generated and impact on the environment and proves to be a highly economical option for period management.
Sirona first collaborated with the University in 2021 when it “cupverted” the housekeeping staff at the University and helped them move to menstrual cups for period management. In the second phase now, Sirona worked with teachers and other staff members to make the switch to cups. So far, five hundred individuals have been “cupverted” in the university.
Dr. Divya Rawat, Assistant Professor, UPES, and project coordinator for Sirona, spoke on the development, “Partnering with Sirona for creating the first pad-free university is part of our vision to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We believe that our teachers and students are ambassadors of change and can create a bigger impact when they share their experience about switching to menstrual cups. Our University has always supported initiatives that positively impact the academic community and society at large. We hope to continue this association with Sirona and impact more lives at UPES.”
Dr. Diksha S Chadha, Director of Social Programs, Sirona said, “We believe teachers are not only harbingers of change for their students, but influencers in their own right for the society. Resolving their concerns about the use of cups will result in them becoming ambassadors of change for students and their friends and families, who will further spread the word about the change sustainable menstruation has brought into their lives”.
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Deep Bajaj, Co-founder and CEO, Sirona said, “Our tryst at Sirona is to not just provide menstruators with innovative products resolving their unaddressed intimate and menstrual hygiene issues, but also spread education and awareness to make them aware of why they need to switch to sustainable, cost-effective practices of menstrual hygiene like the menstrual cups. Instigating this behaviour change needs conversation at multiple levels, including assurance about the safety and benefits of switching to menstrual cups.”
(India CSR)
