To address menstrual taboos, provide mental health education, and distribute period products in India, Swara founded the Period Society in 2019.
Foremost, the organisation trains individuals to become menstrual health educators in their local communities. Its second project focuses on distributing period products adapted to the local environment. Depending on water availability, communities receive either disposable or reusable products. The reusable pads are sewn locally so that communities can achieve menstrual product self-sufficiency.
Swara attended the Summit in Manchester, where she made valuable connections that later led to project funding, including support from Starbucks UK's Women's Impact Network. She was inspired by how others, including the First Lady of Guyana, are addressing similar menstrual hygiene challenges in their own cultures and contexts.
To date, the Period Society has distributed over 1.1 million menstrual hygiene kits and educated 60,000 people through menstrual hygiene sessions. Looking ahead, the organisation plans to launch programmes on sexual and reproductive health, including a pilot campaign to raise awareness about the HPV vaccine. The project also hopes to expand into all eight states in northeastern India.
