Indian People Are Posing With Sanitary Pads To Destigmatise Periods

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Published

February 6, 2018

Social media ‘challenges’ are inherently tacky.

They go viral with the help of a catchy hashtag, exploiting our innermost desires to be ‘seen’ as part of something bigger than we are. In fairness, they’re also kinda fun, but they’re designed to be dumb. The dumber, the better.

Think the #CinnamonChallenge. The #KylieJennerLipChallenge. The #TidePodChallenge.

Every once in a while though, a campaign that actually does some good comes along.

The #PadManChallenge is sweeping Bollywood at the moment, and involves folks posing with sanitary pads in a bid to destigmatise mentrual health.

The campaign comes ahead of the release of ‘PadMan‘, an Indian film detailing the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, the dude who invented low-oat sanitary pad-making machines and generated awareness about traditional unhygienic practices around menstruation in rural India.

Tonnes of the country’s biggest stars have jumped aboard, unwrapping pads and flashing them to the camera:

Challenge accepted @radhika_apte…
Here it is- A pad… Even princesses use it! 😋 Its natural! Period! #PadManChallenge…
Here I’m challenging @RajkummarRao @DianaPenty and @FarOutAkhtar… pic.twitter.com/Gl8fVFieSX

— Aditi Rao Hydari (@aditiraohydari) February 3, 2018

https://twitter.com/aamir_khan/status/959370480418525184

#PadManChallenge

Yes that’s a Pad in my hand & there’s nothing to be ashamed about. It’s natural! Period. #StandByHer

Copy, Paste this & Challenge your friends to take a photo with a Pad!

Here I am Challenging @akshaykumar @mrsfunnybones @sonamakapoor @radhika_apte pic.twitter.com/ULJuJmSeZN

— A Muruganantham (@murugaofficial) February 2, 2018

Thank you for tagging me @murugaofficial
Yes, that’s a Pad in my hand & there’s nothing to be ashamed about. It’s natural! Period. #PadManChallenge

Copy, Paste this & Challenge your friends to take a photo with a Pad!

Here I am Challenging @aamir_khan @AzmiShabana @hvgoenka pic.twitter.com/QXYBwVfYV0

— Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) February 2, 2018

Here you go @aditiraohydari! Got the @Pinkvilla crew, @shaanmuofficial & my team to join in too! That’s us, with a pad. No shame. No humiliation. Cos it’s natural, right?🤷‍♀ Passing on the baton to @anushkasharma, @vaaniofficial, @thejohnabraham & @homiadajania #PadManChallenge pic.twitter.com/1DfHYN2SCE

— Diana Penty (@DianaPenty) February 4, 2018

PDA with a PAD. There’s nothing to be ashamed about, no big deal. Thank you for tagging me @DianaPenty .
Nominating @iHrithik , @Shanoozeing & @nikhil_thampi Lots of love and luck to @akshaykumar , @sonamakapoor and @radhika_apte #PadmanChallenge pic.twitter.com/4f0kU3viUa

— Vaani Kapoor (@Vaaniofficial) February 5, 2018

Accepted the #PadManChallenge @akshaykumar @sonamakapoor
I am not ashamed to hold a pad in my hand. Period!
Now I am challenging my friends@NeilNMukesh @ElliAvrRam @SonuSood pic.twitter.com/TAZNsfZ8fB

— Mustafa Abbas (@themustafaB) February 4, 2018