Menstrual hygiene in India has become synonymous with disposable sanitary pads because of supportive policy initiatives, market evolution, and the positioning of these products as the most hygienic and safest option. Yet, the increasing market size has not been accompanied by product development investments as market players focused on saturating existing demand with a particular range of sanitary pads (e.g., regular pads, and ultra-thin pads). Further, the diverse needs of menstruators in different geographic and socio-cultural contexts received less
attention to trigger greater product development.
The study conducted by Development Solutions and Water India with UNFPA India's support aims to understand the barriers and facilitators for the availability of good quality and affordable menstrual hygiene products in India.