Install Sanitary Pad Dispensers in All Women's Washrooms in Public Spaces

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. There is no muscle that can stop it. Once it starts, it keeps flowing.

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

Periods are a natural biological process that women experience every month for a large part of their lives. Yet in most public spaces, something as basic as a sanitary pad is often unavailable.

A woman walking through a mall, travelling through an airport, commuting by metro, or visiting a multiplex should not have to panic 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.

Installing sanitary pad dispensers or ensuring the availability of pads in women's washrooms is a simple step. The cost of installing such dispensers is tiny compared to the infrastructure budgets of these places.

This is not a complicated demand.
This is a basic amenity.

Lack of access to menstrual products forces women into unnecessary indignity. 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.

Poor menstrual hygiene can lead to infections such as reproductive tract infections, urinary infections, skin irritation, and other long-term health complications. Access to sanitary products is therefore a matter of health, dignity, and equal participation in public life.

On 18 February 2026, the Supreme Court of India recognised menstrual care as part of the fundamental right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Public spaces must reflect this recognition by ensuring that sanitary products are available when they are needed.

We therefore urge malls, airports, metro stations, multiplexes, office complexes, and other large public venues to take the following steps:

• Install sanitary pad dispensers or vending machines in women's washrooms.
• Ensure pads are available either free of cost or at a nominal price.
• Provide proper disposal facilities such as sanitary bins or incinerators.

If public spaces are built for everyone, they must recognise the biological realities of half the population. Sign this petition to demand pad dispensers in women's public washrooms— because dignity cannot wait.

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 strong 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.
• Our goal is to gather at least 500,000 signatures to demonstrate strong public support for making sanitary pads available in public washrooms.
• 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.

Mark my presence by providing what women need: a pad in the washroom.

#MarkMyPresence