Indian women are profiting from increased access to feminine hygiene products. Photo: Mcaysavage (Flickr)

How are poverty and women’s periods related? Let me list the ways... Without access to products like tampons or sanitary napkins, women are less healthy, less educated, and less productive — all effects that contribute to poverty.

Women face a number of problems when they don't have access to feminine hygiene products. Because poor women in developing countries often use old rags to deal with their monthly menstrual cycle, they're more prone to infection or cancer. The SHE project reports that 36 percent of girls are absent from school, because they can't afford sanitary pads.

An article on Global Post's website explains how these problems inspired an Indian man to invent a tampon-making machine.

Muruganantham's invention makes about 120 tampons per hour and costs $2,500. By making the tampons himself, he can sell them cheaply so poor women can afford them, explains the Global Post. And because the machines are reasonably priced, local women can buy a machine and earn a profit by selling the tampons to other women. The New York Times explains why these local feminine hygiene products have economic benefits, as well.

Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson look at this issue merely in terms of sales turnover. But as a social entrepreneur Muruganantham's business model has socio-economic objectives. It creates employment for thousands of rural women, apart from promoting use of sanitary napkins.

Though his quest is admirable, some were unnerved by Muruganathm's research and development efforts, says the New York Times.

He was passing out free pads to college girls and collecting their used napkins for study. And he had a storeroom full of them. When his mother saw it, she burst into tears and packed her things to move in with his sister.

Because of Muruganathm's determination to overcome others' skepticism, his machines have been put to use in more than 200 locations in India. There they are producing empowerment, employment, and better health, at a rate of 120 tampons per minute.