Menstruation has been a taboo topic for ages, with most people avoiding even mentioning it. However, Aditi Gupta an Indian author and entrepreneur who co-founded Menstrupedia Comic, a guide to educating people about menstruation, has bravely taken it upon herself to challenge this silence and create awareness about menstruation.
What is Menstrupedia
Menstrupedia is a unique initiative started by Aditi Gupta and her husband Tuhin Paul, with the aim of educating people about menstruation, particularly in India where menstruation is still a taboo topic. Menstrupedia provides a comprehensive guide to menstrual health and hygiene, using a comic book format that is easy to understand and accessible to all.
The main objective of Menstrupedia is to help people understand the process of puberty in women and men, with the goal of normalizing the biological process and debunking myths and taboos surrounding menstruation. By providing accurate and reliable information about menstruation, Menstrupedia aims to empower women and girls, enabling them to make informed choices about their menstrual health.
Early Life
Aditi Gupta is a highly educated individual, having completed her engineering degree and post-graduation in new media design from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, India. She was born in Garhwa in Jharkhand, India, and while studying at the National Institute of Design, she met her husband, Tuhin Paul. Together, they worked on various projects and initiatives, including Menstrupedia, a platform that aims to spread awareness and education about menstruation in India.
Aditi’s personal experiences with menstruation played a significant role in inspiring her to start Menstrupedia. Despite menstruating at the age of 12, she did not learn about menstruation in school until the age of 15, a common experience for many young girls in India. Additionally, she had to follow many traditional restrictions during her menstrual cycle, such as not being allowed to touch a place of worship, sit on other people’s beds, or wash and dry her clothes with others. She was also not allowed to use sanitary napkins available in the market as it was considered a threat to the family’s dignity. These experiences motivated Aditi to create Menstrupedia, which aims to provide easy-to-understand information and education about menstruation to young girls and women in India.
How Menstrupedia was born
Aditi Gupta and Tuhin Paul, who met while studying at the National Institute of Design, were concerned about the lack of awareness and the prevalence of myths surrounding menstruation in India. As a result, they worked on various projects during their college days, gathering information from doctors and young girls, which eventually led to the creation of a comic book about menstruation. Aditi uploaded the comic book on a website, and in 2012, they officially launched Menstrupedia.
The aim of Menstrupedia is to spread awareness and knowledge about menstruation in a user-friendly way. The comic provides a guide to puberty, menstruation, and hygiene, and the website offers accurate information related to menstruation in a culturally sensitive manner. Currently, comic books are available in fourteen languages.
Aditi’s efforts with Menstrupedia have helped to break down the stigma around menstruation in India and empower young girls and women to take control of their menstrual health and hygiene. The platform has received widespread recognition and has been the recipient of several awards for its contribution to menstrual health education in India.
Achievement
Aditi Gupta has gained widespread recognition and praise for her work as an entrepreneur, specifically for her contributions to menstrual health education in India. Her efforts have inspired and empowered many young women in India to embrace their menstrual health positively.
- Co-founder of Menstrupedia, an online platform that provides information about menstrual health and hygiene in a simple, accessible manner.
- Creator of the Menstrupedia comic, which aims to educate people around the world, particularly in India, on menstruation.
- Received the ‘Women of Worth’ award by L’Oreal Paris in partnership with NDTV in 2014.
- Named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2016.
- Collaborated with Whisper India for various campaigns, including the Touch the Pickle movement.
- Featured in Femina India in 2022.
- Invited as a TEDx speaker.
- Part of the ‘100 women entrepreneurs building and shaping India’ list.
- Appearing on Shark Tank India in 2022 and securing a 50 Lakh investment for Menstrupedia
- Advocate for menstrual health and hygiene education, breaking down taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation in India.
Noticeable Campaign
Menstrupedia has collaborated with Whisper India to launch various campaigns, including the “Touch the Pickle“ movement. The movement featured several popular actresses, such as Shraddha Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Kalki Koechlin, Neha Dhupia, and Mandira Bedi, among others. The goal of these campaigns was to break the silence surrounding menstruation and encourage women to break free from age-old myths and taboos.
Recent Update
In 2022, Aditi Gupta and her husband Tuhin Paul appeared on Shark Tank India, a popular business reality TV show, where they pitched their venture Menstrupedia. During the show, Aditi discussed the lack of awareness and difficulties women face due to societal taboos around menstruation in India. She explained how they left their jobs to create India’s first comic book on menstruation and their aim to change the way people perceive this natural process.
Aditi and Tuhin also discussed their plans to expand Menstrupedia through the development of a mobile app that provides all the necessary information about menstruation at a woman’s fingertips. The idea impressed Namita Thapar, one of the investors on the show, who decided to fund 50 Lacs for a 20% equity stake in the venture.
Aditi Gupta as an inspiration
Aditi Gupta is an inspiration to all young girls and women who struggle with the stigma surrounding menstruation in India. Her efforts have made a significant impact in educating people about menstruation and breaking down menstrual taboos. Through Menstrupedia, Aditi and her husband Tuhin Paul have given women the power of knowledge and control over their own bodies. Her achievements as an entrepreneur and her contribution to the field have been remarkable. Aditi’s hard work, dedication, and commitment to educating people about menstruation have not only earned her numerous accolades and recognition but have also brought about a positive change in society.
Aditi’s achievements as an entrepreneur are simply mind-blowing, and she’s receiving recognition left and right for her amazing work. We’re all about Aditi’s dedication, and we can’t wait to see what she’ll do next. She’s a total inspiration for all the young women out there, and we’re here for it.
