Sanitree

About Sanitree

Tackling period poverty and the stigma surrounding menstruation in a sustainable, collaborative and ethical way; our vision is that menstruation becomes an experience that is empowering for people and kind to the planet. There is both a wealth and geographical divide in terms of using safe and hygienic sanitary products, a basic human right which should be afforded to all menstruating people equally.

Jaipur is the home of our co-operative, the Her Shakti Centre, where 7 local women are employed to produce our reusable cloth pads.

The workshop space was founded by our Director Ishu from the Jeevan Arth Foundation, and is more than just a workspace: the Her Shakti Centre holds weekly self-defence, yoga and English language classes run by locals. Our beneficiaries can empower themselves and their community in a space totally dedicated to their ventures. This is the heart of the Sanitree cause and it’s from here that we hope to inspire the breakdown of the menstruation taboo through education and awareness raising.

Edinburgh is our UK base, where the 18 members of the student-led Sanitree team attend university together.

It is here that we organise most of our fundraising to support the production and activities in the Her Shakti Centre. We host events for the student community throughout the year to raise funds and awareness of our operations as well as working with political and community stakeholders, organising campaigns raising awareness of period stigma. We are currently breaking into the UK market with our pads to further subsidize the cost of our pads in Jaipur, and help to fund other Jaipur ventures. Once a year, our volunteers go and visit the Her Shakti Centre.

Our reusable and biodegradable pads are handmade by women in Jaipur using economically and environmentally sustainable fabric which is locally sourced from suppliers who share our ethos.

All profits from sales of our pads are reinvested into our social impact work, as well as our cross-subsidisation model to make our pads as affordable as possible. Buying a Sanitree pad directly aids the distribution of pads to those who need it most. The reason for its popularity is simple: it is safer, cheaper and more eco-friendly than its alternatives.