CHENNAI: Gramalaya, a three-decade-old Tiruchy-based NGO announced Sneha Shergill, Mrs India — The Queen of Substance 2016 as its brand ambassador for Menstrual Hygiene and Management (MHM) on World Menstrual Hygiene Day. The event which was held recently at Hotel Breeze Residency, saw the participation of over 100 women from different walks of life.

Talking to CE, Sneha said, “People at Gramalaya did not consider menstruation as a ‘curse’. Instead, they chose to empower women by educating them to follow proper menstrual hygiene methods. I am humbled to be the brand ambassador for their MHM initiative and ‘Feel Free Cloth Pads’ campaign.”  Recalling her formative days and how she became a campaigner of menstrual hygiene, the pageant winner shared, “In Bengaluru, near the colony I live, there is an orphanage. There are about 25-30 girls who live there. I used to observe them burn all the used sanitary pads. Later, I came to know that the sanitary workers refused to collect used sanitary pads from them. This prompted me to teach young girls, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds about menstrual hygiene.”