Women in the slums live amid stigma and taboo surrounding menstruation and many have lost access to sanitary care during the COVID-19 lockdown, said a 26-year-old Deane De Menezes who has in the past 30 days helped 13,000 girls and women, and aims to help another 10,000 in the coming month.

Menezes, who founded Red is the New Green (RING) initiative nearly four years ago to raise awareness about menstrual health, has kicked off a campaign — #PassOnThePad — to raise funds to help more women in the city. "Given the current situation, personal hygiene should be top priority," she told mid-day. "However, due to the lockdown, women have lost access to sanitary care. With schools being shut, girls can no longer get free sanitary napkins provided to them through our vending machines, other NGOs or BMC-led programmes."