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How 16-year-old entrepreneur is combatting period poverty with her new social venture

Ahana Kotibhaskar talks about the importance of having a sustainable business model and Gen-Zs incline towards social entrepreneurship

While Gen-Z is known for many unique traits, harnessing the power of creativity and innovation is at the heart of their endeavours. Growing up in a rapidly changing world, they often seek unconventional solutions to age-old problems and are open to embracing new ideas and trends, which naturally makes them the right fit for entrepreneurial adventures — and ventures.

Conceived and developed by 16-year-old entrepreneur, Ahana Kotibhaskar, Saathi is a socially conscious brand focused on menstrual hygiene, dedicated to tackling period poverty globally through reusable period underwear. The inspiration for Saathi struck when Ahana visited India in 2022. During the trip, she witnessed firsthand the detrimental impact of period poverty on the lives of young girls and women, particularly in rural areas.

“Last summer, I visited my ancestral village in India called Birwadi with my family. After spending an hour or two there, I decided to go and interact with some of the girls around my age, and I was shocked to discover that none of them were attending school,” recalls Ahana, who originally hails from Dubai but is currently studying at Wycombe Abbey boarding school in Buckinghamshire, England.

“This was a complete revelation to me because some of these girls were even younger than me, and were being denied the opportunity to learn. I inquired as to why this was happening, and I was even more astounded to learn that it was all due to menstruation, something I consider to be a basic human process,” she adds.

For many low-income and rural women, access to hygienic sanitary products during menstruation is either limited or unaffordable. Moreover, the global Pink Tax, which refers to the phenomenon where products and services marketed to women are priced higher than similar products and services marketed to men, further aggravates the issue, resulting in higher costs for female-oriented products compared to their male counterparts.

“Instead of going to school, and perhaps, being educated about menstruation, these girls are taught that menstruation is a shameful, unnatural process, and that they should live in period huts/rooms for the duration of their monthly cycles. The only other option is to wear dry rags while menstruating, which are often dirty and can lead to infections and diseases that many women don’t have the money to treat,” says Ahana. “That’s when I realised that things needed to change and a donation would not be enough. That’s how the idea of ‘Saathi’ came to life.”

Prioritising meaning and purpose in their work is also of utmost importance for the Gen-Z, says Ahana, adding that people are more likely to be drawn to businesses that align with their values and contribute positively to society. The preference for purpose-driven work often translates into entrepreneurial ventures aimed at creating a positive impact. “I realised that my past experiences of raising funds for causes I believed in were short-term, and mostly one-time in nature and charitable. To make an ongoing impact and to make it sustainable, a small business serves the aim of longevity, being able to give back on a long-term basis, while also creating impact and change in the short run,” says Ahana.

Underlining its commitment to promoting menstrual health and safety sustainably, Saathi donates one period underwear to a girl in need with each purchase. Partnering with the KCS Foundation NGO in Bihar, India, Ahana also seeks to educate girls and women about menstrual hygiene, while handing them Saathi's products.

“In only a matter of a few months after launching, Saathi has sold over 300 period underwear, which means over 300 underwear would be distributed to girls in India,” says Ahana, who recently travelled to India to distribute the Saathi underwear to women in need. However, the aim of this trip was not solely focused on distribution, but also on education, says Ahana. “We hosted educational sessions to destigmatise the social taboo around menstruation, explaining the ‘reality’ of periods to young girls in the village,” she adds. “Saathi is more than just a brand. It's a movement. And I hope it sparks a revolution.”

The term Saathi translates to “companion” in Hindi, representing the collective effort of women coming together to free themselves from period-related worries. “Period poverty is a silent crisis. Millions of girls are suffering unnoticed, simply due to societal claims made hundreds of years ago. Agreed, there are many other problems in our society but there’s somehow more of a space to discuss them in the mainstream narrative,” says Ahana. “Period poverty is shrouded by a veil of social stigma, and Saathi seeks to unveil this.”

Constructed from highly absorbent bamboo fibre, the underwear provides the comfort of a regular undergarment while effectively absorbing menstrual flow. With a lifespan of approximately three years, the undergarment is an eco-friendly, cost-effective way to inspire women to opt for a sanitary alternative to pads and tampons that benefits the environment while empowering lives in rural areas. “Most other menstrual hygiene products are single-use, which amounts to vast quantities of waste each year. Saathi is a one-time purchase for Dh40 that will last for over three years.”

According to Ahana, one of the key pillars in creating a successful business is to be sustainable. “Global warming is our world’s most feared enemy to date. It is up to each and every person to combat it and if done in the right way, businesses can become the catalyst in the fight against climate change,” says Ahana.

Moreover, there has also been a rise of young entrepreneurs who have achieved significant success through tech startups, social media ventures, and other innovative endeavours, which goes to show that age is not a barrier to business success. “I have been raised with the idea that there is no required age to make a change. There is no ‘right time’, only a firm decision to take action,” she adds.

“Our generation has been brought up in a rapidly-changing world, with changing perspectives. The rise of renewable energy in this ‘modern’ era, has shown us that we are the pioneers of the future. It is only natural that more and more people from my age-group want to start their own venture,” says Ahana.

To foster more awareness, you can support companies such as Saathi (Instagram: saathi_bt), by buying, donating or spreading the message.

somya@khaleejtimes.com