Actor Radhika Apte who is very vocal on social issues recently made a statement on feminine hygiene in India, saying  there is little awareness about feminine hygiene in India, and it is time to educate people about the importance of menstruation hygiene. “The menstruation taboo is ancient and there are so many theories about it. For some, it is fear of blood and for some period blood is toxic. If you read the theories about menstruation, you might even laugh,” Radhika said.  “In short there is very little awareness about feminine hygiene in our country and it is high time that we educate people about the importance of menstruation hygiene and the hazards associated with it if neglected,” she added.

Radhika also featured in Pad Man, which tells a story of social entrepreneur Arunachalam Muruganantham’s journey to make affordable sanitary napkins. The film  will air on Indian small screens on August 12. The film also features Akshay Kumar and Sonam Kapoor.

Radhika believes that change will happen but slowly. “No big change happens overnight, it’s a slow process. Mentioning the word menstruation has always been a taboo in India,” she says. “People always shy away from talking about menstruation hygiene and the awareness about the topic is very dismal.”

“However, having said that, with the release of ‘Pad Man’ and so many more initiatives across the country that have been taking place for a long time, people are more open to discussing feminine hygiene and that is the first step towards achieving our goal,” she adds.