Menstruation = Taboo, is what all of us have been told time and again. With almost 12-13 billion menstrual waste created every year just in India, there’s one solution to all this waste – A Menstrual Cup!
Menstruation and Women is the only concept that runs in our mind, because that is what is taught to us. But, Neha Khandekar, the Founder of a ‘GENDER NEUTRAL’ Menstrual Cup Brand ‘WoMX Cup’, throws light on the subject of stereotyping menstruation. Neha, while talking to INN, said that, “After being educated while in research stage of the Product, I realized that ‘Not all Women Menstruate and Not all Menstruators are Women’.”
The 21-year-old from Mumbai, established the brand during the ongoing pandemic 2020 based on a personal experience.
“I myself tried a lot of cups, but I wasn’t satisfied with any of them. Some cups were too soft and they wouldn’t open up inside me easily, some were too hard and it’d feel like a tug of war between the cup and my vagina. With some, the texture wasn’t very comfortable. Later when I talked to a few of my friends who were in the middle of their ‘Cupvert Journey’, I realised they were also facing the similar issues as I was. So, I decided to create my own cup (!) which is a bit easier to use, especially for beginners and fussy menstruators like me,” Neha told INN.
“Ever since I was a kid, I was always curious about the way gender roles were portrayed in the media and how periods were misrepresented by mainstream menstrual care companies,” said Neha. Mentioning that it was necessary to portray periods in a more realistic manner, Neha Khandekar, along with the co-founder of WoMX, thought of bringing in the brand which is Gender Neutral, and helps fussy menstruators like Neha – as she defines herself, to smoothly go through the rough patch of the month.
“The name of the brand was WoMXN but, as the word womxn has exclusionary implications towards the trans folk, we decided to change our name to Womxcup (pronounced as ‘we-mex’ cup) to include the MX in the name, which is a preferred gender-neutral prefix. The ‘MX’ in WomxCup naturally binds the trans-menstruators with us,” Neha reiterated WoMX Cup’s objective.
The samples started being tested last year that included the shape, the color and the material of the Cup. Neha said, “We uploaded a poll on Instagram to choose the color and got a mixed reaction. In the end, we chose a Charcoal Grey color.” Neha added, “The cup is made using Medical Grade Silicone that lasts up to 10 years and comes in a Biodegradable packaging which makes its production completely plastic free. What more would one want?”
Expressing herself about Menstrual hygiene, the Founder tells us, “I feel menstrual hygiene and menstruation itself are one of the most overlooked and taboo topics, even in 2020. When I was a kid, I never received any proper menstrual education at my school or even at home. There needs to be more awareness about safe and sustainable menstruation.” Stating her family in the talk, Neha said that her kin was very supportive of whatever she was doing and her father helped her in bootstrapping the project along with her partner who has invested in WoMX Cup.
When asked about taking the brand ahead, Neha very proudly spoke of the motive of the brand that is being open to a daily conversation about Menstruation and getting it out of the ‘shame’ parade. “We wish to provide our customers a conscious and sustainable period experience with our products. Period poverty is very real in India, with more than 60% menstruators not having access to basic menstrual necessities. And the situation has gotten worse now during COVID,” said the 21-year-old.
WoMX Cup, is not just speaking of taking a step towards the goal of a period positive planet, it has acted upon its aim. “We have taken a pledge to donate a cup for every cup we sell to help the underprivileged in managing their menstrual hygiene needs for the next 10 years,” Neha Khandekar concluded.
WoMX Cup have just begun dispatching its Menstrual Cup along with some goodies and an Instruction Manual that explains it all. The Cup costs ₹899 and with every cup bought by a customer, 1 cup will be donated.
