Women should have free access to sanitary napkins: Akshay Kumar

The actor says, women should celebrate puberty like Holi

MUMBAI, INDIA: National Award-winning actor Akshay Kumar, who is addressing the issue of menstrual hygiene in his forthcoming film Padman, says women should get sanitary napkins for free as it is a basic necessity for them.

When asked if the Toilet: Ek Prem Katha actor wants to reach out to the government to cut down on the GST rate of sanitary napkins, Akshay told media, "Why just cut down on GST? I think women should have free access to sanitary napkins. This is their basic necessity. It is about menstrual hygiene, not luxury."



He sorrowfully also expressed, "It is unfortunate and I am ashamed to say that 82% of women in this country have no access to sanitary napkins and they are mistreated during their menstruation period."

 

 

PHOTO: SCREENGRAB

Padman is a biopic on Arunachalam Muruganantham, the inventor of a low-cost sanitary napkin making machine in India. Hailing from a poor family, he noticed that women don’t have access to basic hygiene and are usually isolated during ‘that time of the month’.

The stigma attached to menstruation has turned this basic need into a life-altering problem, as women living in rural areas do not have the means to invest in hygienic ways to dispose their menstrual blood. They then end up using rags of cloth or leaves which can lead to numerous serious infections, including cervical cancer or early miscarriages. Some diseases may even end the lives of these poor women which is why Arunachalam stood up to find a solution.

 

 





PHOTO: DNA

The subject of the movie is considered a taboo and a sensitive issue. However, Akshay added, “I do not consider it as a ‘sensitive issue’. It is a natural process of the human body and it’s time to get rid of the taboos attached to it. We should treat this subject matter maturely.” Earlier, he also shared that he took the role because he felt that it needed to be brought to the audience.

The Hera Pheri star also suggested that women shouldn’t shy away from discussing such matters either. Like the Holi and Diwali festivals, he feels that people should also celebrate when a girl reaches puberty.



The 50-year-old actor stated, “When you celebrate it, the girl who is already going through a physical and hormonal transition will feel confident and secure. But we tend to exclude our women from the normalcy of life during those five days which is why, from the first experience, women feel that their period is something that they need to hide."

Produced by Akshay's wife Twinkle Khanna and directed by R Balki, Padman is slated to release on January 26. Sonam Kapoor will be seen sharing the screen with Akshay while legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan is also rumoured to make a cameo.

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