What started as a painful personal experience for Geeta Solanki turned into a revolutionary idea that has touched over 4 million women. Unable to use plastic sanitary pads due to a Bartholin’s cyst, Geeta found comfort in a simple cotton cloth-something her mother handed her with quiet wisdom. That small moment sparked a large mission.

Geeta founded Unipads, a startup that makes affordable, reusable cloth pads for rural women, while also creating employment and education. Through tailoring workshops, local women were trained to make pads and talk openly about menstruation-breaking long-held taboos.

From one village to over 190 ‘Kalyanis’ (women resellers), Unipads has built a network that empowers women to earn, educate, and challenge stigma. Their pads are now even sold by brands like Sirona and Pee Safe.

With campaigns like Adeli and School Miles, Unipads has not only tackled period poverty but also given women a voice, dignity, and a purpose. It’s more than hygiene-it’s a movement for respect.