We will be screening the film of Padman at The Odyssey, on Tuesday, May 13th, at St. Albans in Hertfordshire, UK. The film covers issues from women being ostracised during “that time of the month” to young girls shying away from school to avoid any “embarrassment”.

“I’d love to get young women from St. Albans coming along to see this film which is about an amazing social entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu who is breaking down taboos about menstruation in India. It’s the same thing as I am trying to do with WUKA period wear here in the UK, getting young women to ditch the feelings of shame about having periods.”

– Founder and CEO of WUKA

WUKA (short for Wake Up and Kick Ass) emerged from Raut’s early experience growing up in Nepal, where disposable menstrual products are expensive and many girls use Sari rags for their monthly flow instead. So Raut, an environmental scientist by training, wanted to create a more comfortable, hygienic and eco-friendly product that could be reused for periods. Hence, WUKA was born, not just to offer an alternative product that helps to reduce plastic pollution, but to also bust menstruation myths.

“Periods often have this negative connotation, so we wanted WUKA to bring a positive message and a sense of empowerment. We want to break taboos around menstruation. You should be proud and loud about your period. On your period — show it off!”