Devidutta Dash Gets Candid About Periods, Sanitary Products & Struggles Of Menstruators

Many menstruators in India and the world still do not have access to clean toilets and sanitary products. They seek conventional ways like using rags to prevent their clothes from soiling. However, this practice can lead to infections, rashes, redness, and other issues.

In an effort to improve the percentage of menstruators living below the period poverty line, Devidutta Dash started Lemme Be, a femtech brand. From menstrual cups to biodegradable sanitary pads and tampons, it has products in various shapes and sizes available to cater to the different needs of menstruators.

It is probably among the very few names in India that has an inclusive marketing approach to ensure that the world knows it is not only women who menstruate.

There Is A Huge Scope Of Innovation

While speaking to HerZindagi about how Dash started this venture, she shared that innovation drove her to found a company that would continuously research and develop new products, which would make the lives of menstruators a little easier every passing day.

There was once a time when it seemed that people never thought of disposable pads and menstrual cups in the form they exist today. But today, we have several brands providing us with unlimited options.

Dash added that she wanted to create a company that would help people fight the stigma and taboo around periods while reducing carbon footprints and opting for a more sustainable and affordable approach. Lemme Be has recently won an award for being the ‘Best Startup of the Year’.

We Need To Make People Aware Of Menstruation & Impact On Health

The entrepreneur stressed the need to make people aware of menstruation, its impact on health and why people need to opt for eco-friendly products. She takes pride in the 100% biodegradable tampons that Lemme Be provides. It takes them somewhere between 40 to 45 days to decompose.

When asked about inclusivity, Dash said that as women we know how bad periods can be. With cramps, mood swings and pain, it can be very difficult for some to even get up from the bed. However, we never thought if it was that bad for women, it would be worse for menstruators who do not identify with gender binaries.

From struggling with body issues to pain and taboos, Lemme Be wishes to help everyone and cater to their needs depending on their requirements.

‘We Need To Call It What It Actually Is’

Image Courtesy: Instagram/lemmebe_official

If anyone scrolls through the social media accounts of the brand, they would come across posts talking about periods and their impact on sexual, mental, skin and reproductive health.

Around Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2022, they started a campaign called ‘My Period Story’ in which many menstruators shared their ups and downs while dealing with those bloody days.

The best thing about it was the graphics used were in red imitating blood. While many commercial brands show blue liquid, Dash said that her team wanted to challenge the stigma around it. “We want to call it what it is. Menstruators bleed every month. It is not blue liquid but blood.”

She also shared her interactions with a few teenagers, who thought that when the time comes, it would be the blue liquid that would come out of their bodies. Many even thought they were struck with a terminal illness when they saw blood around their first period.

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Period Undergarment Is A Game Changer

Speaking about the products offered by Lemme Be, Dash thinks that period undergarment is a game changer. In many rural districts of India, girls do not have access to clean toilets and water, where they can change sanitary products, dispose of pads and tampons or clean menstrual cups.

In such a case, they can use a period panty, which has the capacity to store around 120ml of blood and urine. Moreover, it can be worn for about six to eight hours, making it easier for girls to get through the day without staining clothes and worrying about infections.

It can also be worn by elderly people, who have difficulty controlling their bladder. Apart from this, the brand will soon launch a heating pad that would be able to provide some relief from cramps and infuse little amounts of iron and magnesium in the body.

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Devidutta Dash and Lemme Be are trying to make the world a little easier and better for menstruators. We hope they succeed in their mission of spreading awareness, reaching many people and helping make their periods sustainable, affordable, hassle-free and a little less painful.

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