“It’s time to make a real change."
Rajasthan Royals hopes to remove the taboo around periods when they return to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in September 2020.
On the back of their jerseys will be the sponsor Niine. This will mark the first time any Indian sports team has been sponsored by a sanitary towel brand.
The collaboration between the Rajasthan Royals and Niine has made waves in India especially when considering the stigma surrounding periods in the country.
It is one of several developments that have pushed periods into the limelight in India.
Many are hoping that the visibility will challenge regressive attitudes around menstruation.
Rajasthan Royals executive chairman Ranjit Barthakur said:
“It’s time to make a real change. We are delighted to welcome Niine on board, who have been frontrunners in making a change in the way menstruation is perceived in the society.
“The synergy between the two organisations to work on women empowerment is something we are excited about.
“Their work towards protecting environment through safe disposal, with their products has been remarkable and is again something that we’re proud to be associated with.”
“IPL is a fantastic commodity which is loved and watched by millions around the world, we at Rajasthan Royals, through this partnership look to be the drivers of change both on and off the field during the IPL, sending out a resounding message of change on the biggest of stages.”
Niine has been a driving force for social acceptability to free women from menstrual shackles that may be imposed by society.
There has been an ongoing effort to break stereotypes and ensure that families and men, in particular, are open to seeing and discussing sanitary products within their families.
By breaking taboos and encouraging conversations, Niine has become instrumental in empowering women to be at the forefront of this initiative.
Rajasthan Royals believes that by working with empowered women to further educate society, they are at the forefront of change.
Amar Tulsiyan, Founder and Chairman of Niine Hygiene and Personal Care, said:
“Rajasthan Royals is known for their affinity with social causes, and share a common vision of empowering women to strengthen India further.”
“We are very excited at this partnership and look forward to a strong season of innings and knock out menstrual shackles from lives of our girls and women, together.
“We also believe IPL is a powerful platform that reaches out to millions and millions of men and women in our country and internationally, and can be a catalyst in doing away with embarrassment faced by many when it comes to sanitary napkins or in talks about periods.”
This comes after Indian food delivery service Zomato stated that it was giving female and transgender employees 10 days additional period leave.
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal said: “There shouldn’t be any shame or stigma attached to applying for a period leave.
“I know that menstrual cramps are very painful for a lot of women – and we have to support them through it if we want to build a truly collaborative culture at Zomato.”
The stigma around periods remains highly prevalent in India.
According to Unicef, 71% of young Indian women remain unaware of menstruation until their first cycle and many men remain entirely ignorant of the subject until they get married.
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