You can hold your bladder.
You can delay using the toilet.

But what happens when a period starts unexpectedly? Menstrual blood cannot be held back. Once it starts, it keeps flowing.

Every period creates an immediate need for access to sanitary napkins.

When a period begins unexpectedly, women are often forced to use uncomfortable makeshift solutions, leave public spaces abruptly, or spend hours in anxiety and discomfort.

And... Poor menstrual hygiene leads to infections such as:

1. Reproductive Tract Infections
2. Urinary Infections
3. Skin Irritation
4. Other long-term health complications

Periods are a natural biological process that women experience every month.

 

AAP MP Raghav Chadha called for a national movement—in the Rajya Sabha, on March 13, 2026—to end the stigma surrounding menstrual hygiene. The issue is not a matter of "charity" or "sympathy" but a fundamental right tied to health, education, equality, and dignity.

In fact, the Supreme Court of India recognized Menstrual Care as part of the fundamental right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution, on 18 February, 2026.

 

 

Yet in most public spaces, something as basic as a sanitary pad is often unavailable.

THE PETITION

A woman at work in the office, or travelling through an airport, or commuting by metro, or trains, or visiting a multiplex, and in so many ordinary everyday situations, shouldn't have to panic if she is caught off-guard by a period. She shouldn't have to worry about where she will find a pad.

Public spaces today offer countless conveniences: coffee shops, vending machines, and food counters are everywhere. Yet a sanitary pad is harder to find than a Cappuccino or a Cutting chai.

Installing Sanitary Pad Dispensers in women's washrooms is a simple step. The cost of installing a dispenser is a tiny fraction of the money spent building these places. Women in need would be glad to pay for a pad. We aren't asking for freebies, just facilities that take our presence and needs into account. Over time, the Pad Dispensers will pay for themselves.

This is not a complicated or unreasonable demand — it's a request for a basic amenity.

THE GOAL

Install Sanitary Pad Dispensers in All Women's Washrooms in Public Spaces (right from the most luxurious spaces all the way down to streetside public toilets)

Train Stations, ST Stands, Malls, Airports, Metro stations, Multiplexes, Offices, and All Public Venues MUST:

• Install sanitary pad dispensers or vending machines in women's washrooms
• Ensure pads are stocked and available for purchase at regular/nominal prices
• Ensure used sanitary pads are properly disposed of

If public spaces are built for everyone, they must recognize the biological realities of half the population.

 

 

THE PLAN

• This petition was launched on 8 March – International Women's Day
• The campaign will run until 28 May – International Menstrual Hygiene Day
• Once we gather public support, this petition will be submitted to the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, addressed to Smt. Annapurna Devi, Union Minister
• The petition will also be shared with ministries and governments of all Indian States and Union Territories
• We must have at least 500,000 signatures/backers to demonstrate strong public support for this cause and petition
• Every signature matters. Please confirm your signature through the email sent by Change.org. Check your spam folder if you do not see it in your inbox.

 

 

WHY THE PLAN WILL WORK (if we have your support)

• We aren't asking for free Sanitary Pads
• Sanitary Pad Dispensers will pay for themselves over time
• All the Centre & State Governments have to do is issue orders — implement the Supreme Court ruling on Menstrual Care as a Fundamental Right

Because...

1. ~95%+ of all public washrooms/toilets in India are owned/operated/managed by private contractors or companies.
2. Governments themselves will have to install Sanitary Pad Dispensers ONLY in Ladies Washrooms at ST Stands, Train Stations, Police Stations, Courthouses, and Municipal, Ward and District Offices.
3. Funds are NOT A PROBLEM: The Union Budget 2025-26 allocated ₹ 26,889 crore to the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare was allocated ₹ 99,859 crore for 2025-26, an 11% increase over the previous year's revised estimates. 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

We are running out of time — nearly a month has passed, and all we have are 151 signatures

Your email address won't be misused — Change.org doesn't share your email address with us when you sign the petition. When we submit to the Ministry & Union Ministers, all we can share are Names and Zip Codes

Verification matters — 3 out of 4 people visit this page, sign the petition, BUT don't verify their signature. All you have to do is click on the link in the email sent to you by Change.org. Be sure to check your Spam Folder, just in case.

YOU CAN DO MORE

We are all on Social Media. We are all a part of WhatsApp groups. So, after you sign the petition (and verify your signature), please share it with your friends, family, neighbours, and colleagues.

When posting to social media, please include the #MarkMyPresence hashtag. This way, we can repost, amplify together, and hopefully, go viral — because that is what it takes to make a change.

 

 

If you'd like to contribute some of your time to this cause (whether as a one-time thing, or by making a weekly commitment of 2 hours) please let us know by sending a DM:

• Twitter: https://x.com/MarkMyPresence
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/honestly.sneha
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishalsuchak/ (desperately seeking someone to lead on LinkedIn, or at least write a note/post)
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vishalsuchak/ (desperately seeking someone to lead on LinkedIn, or at least write a note/post)

#MarkMyPresence by providing what Women need: A Pad in the washroom, for health, equality, and dignity

Full Disclosure: This is a non-politically aligned effort, and we hope you will join us in solving a rightful need that can be easily addressed.