Smera Thakkar
I’m a student from Mumbai, India, with a deep interest in Economics and Mathematics. My curiosity extends beyond academics: I love exploring new books, building LEGO with my brother, travelling to new places and experimenting with recipes alongside my grandfather. I’m equally committed to making a social impact. This commitment has led me to create, Her Health First, an initiative that’s extremely personal to me.
Her Health First is an initiative dedicated to improving female reproductive hygiene in women-dominated areas across India.
The issue is two-fold in nature. First, millions of women lack access to basic hygiene resources, making them vulnerable to conditions, like the Urinary Tract Infection. Second, there is a lack of awareness about the importance of maintaining reproductive hygiene.
This combination of limited resources, a lack of awareness as well as a deeply ingrained stigma in India, makes both prevention and early intervention uncommon. Her Health First seeks to bridge these gaps by improving resource accessibility and promoting knowledge about female hygiene and health.
Our Aims
Education through Research
Her Health First conducts awareness sessions that simplify preventive measures for common health risks. These sessions are backed by medical research and insights from healthcare professionals and nutritionists.
Reducing Stigma
The initiative encourages open conversations about topics like menstruation, thereby helping women feel more comfortable discussing their personal health issues and asking questions, which also aids in early detection of infections.
Improving Accessibility
Health and medical kits are provided, tailored to different demographics and needs. The kits include items that are easily affordable and available near, ensuring long term usage even after the sessions.
Ensuring long term effects
Discussions with factory owners, NGO coordinators, and old age home administrators to ensure proper hygiene practices.
Inside the Kit distributed to the OEPS Pvt. Ltd. factory’s branch in Pune
Each kit included:
- Sanitary pads
- Electral powder (to support the hydration of factory workers)
- Dettol antiseptic liquid & cotton
- Dettol wipes
- Handwash
- Medicine for menstrual pain
- Sebamed intimate wash
- Kailash jeevan ayurvedic cream
- Band-aids (for factory workers in case of minor cuts)
- Nutritional supplements (to support immunity)
For the Dettol and Sebamed products, I negotiated with local vendors to source quality products at reduced prices.
To date, Her Health First has:
- Reached 180+ women
- Targeted 5 locations in in Mumbai and Pune
- Distributed 100+ tailored kits and towels
Here are some photos from the awareness sessions. We also collaborated with a few old age homes, such as Shephard’s Widows Home, where photography was not permitted.
My vision ahead
I aspire to expand this initiative to a newer age group: young girls in schools. I have already worked with one school in Mumbai, wherein we spoke to the students regarding the importance of hygiene.
I am currently working with an all girls school in Kutch, Gujarat.
