Arunachalam Muruganantham: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 20:31, 19 August 2012
Arunachalam Muruganantham | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Inventor |
| Organization | Jayashree Industries |
| Website | newinventions.in |
Arunachalam Muruganantham is an inventor from rural Coimbatore in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India who uncovered the need for an inexpensive solution to unsanitary and unhygienic practices around menstruation in rural India. He created and patented a machine which could manufacture low-cost sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads.
History
Arunachalam Muruganantham discovered his wife collecting rags to use for her menstrual cycle as their family couldn't afford the commercially available products from multinational corporations.[1] He devised many of his own experiments in an effort to understand the problem. These experiments, some of which included the use of animal blood, resulted in Muruganantham being ostracized from his community and family (albeit temporarily).[2] He eventually learned that wood pulp would be the key to a solution. Muruganantham devised a machine that allows a simple and cost effective pad creation process which can be run with basic training.[3]
Invention
Muruganantham founded the company, Jayashree Industries, which markets these machines to rural women all over India and provides them employment and a way to uplift them from poverty.[4] His innovation has been praised for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, and his commitment to his society has earned him several awards.[2] Despite offers from several corporate entities to commercialize his venture, he has refused to sell out and continues to provide these machines to self-help groups (SHGs) run by women all over India.[5]
Women's wellness
Muruganantham's invention has changed the lives of women in India.[6] In some countries, reusable or makeshift pads are still used to collect menstrual blood. Rags, soil, and mud are also reportedly used for collecting menstrual flow.[2] Muruganantham's machine creates jobs and income for many women, and affordable pads afford many more women the opportunity lead regular lives during menstruation.[7]
Shaded from the sun beneath a large archway, one of them, 25-year-old Umar Parthak, said of the napkins: "We feel a lot more freedom. It gives us a lot more freedom to go out. Also, the rags that we previously used were not hygienic."[2]
See also
References
- ^ Sandhana, Lakshmi. "An Indian Inventor Disrupts The Period Industry". Fast Company. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
- ^ a b c d Buncombe, Andrew (29 June 2012). "The 'Tampon King' who sparked a period of change for India's women". The Independent. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
- ^ Foxx-Gonzalez, Kellie (29 June 2012). "Tampon King". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
- ^ Kumar, Vikas (18 January 2012). "Blood, sweat & a few tears: Arunachalam Muruganantham's lessons for consumer product firms". The Economic Times. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
- ^ Sandhana, Lakshmi (21 January 2012). "India's women given low-cost route to sanitary protection". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
- ^ Ramdoss, Santhosh (31 January 2012). "Enabling Access through Low-cost Sanitary Pads: Jayashree Industries". Think Change India. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
- ^ Baker, Katie J.M. (29 June 2012). "Meet India's 'Tampon King'". Jezebel. Retrieved 18 August 2012.