Story behind India’s first advertisement that features a man participating in a conversation around menstruation

• Pee Safe’s sister brand Raho Safe, a feminine-hygiene company started by a man, is trying to include men in the conversation around menstruation through its latest campaign.
• The campaign aims to normalise men buying pads just like other things for their women counterparts and breaking the stigma around menstruation.

Have you also wondered why pharmacists or shopkeepers awkwardly and hurriedly respond when you ask for a sanitary napkin? They rush to find a black bag or a paper bag to wrap it in -- as if we have asked for something illegal. It is mostly hidden inside the shop -- rarely can you spot them on the counter -- unlike condoms. A lot of women whisper when they buy a pad and we continue talking about menstruation and buying pads in whispers, as if we are ashamed of it.

To address this taboo, we all need to come forward and start talking about it. Pee Safe’s Raho Safe is the first brand in India to include men in conversation about menstruation. It aims to encourage men to buy pads for women in their lives and remind them that menstruation is a natural process through its campaign #menbuypads. It tells them that a true gentleman is the one who buys pads.

The brand has also on-boarded well-known influencers such as Rannvijay Singha (3.6 M Followers), Angad Bedi (490K Followers), Karan Wahi (2.7 M Followers) and Mohit Malhotra (200 K Followers) to address the taboo.

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#Repost @rannvijaysingha • • • • • • Women are powerful enough to give birth to another human being, they have their period to embrace the power of giving birth every month, I am proud to be a part of it in anyway possible, I buy pads for the women in my life, do you? #Menbuypads @jacquelinef143 #MenBuyPads #MenstrualHygiene #HealthFirst #HealthyLiving #Menstruation #RahoSafe #LocalVocal #VocalForLocal #HealthAndHygiene #PeeSafe #BeSafeWithPeeSafe

A post shared by Raho Safe (@rahosafein) on Sep 26, 2020 at 2:44am PDT

It is also using humour and memes to talk about an ‘uncomfortable’ topic and target GenZ through its social media.

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When guys try to buy pads for the first time. #rahosafe #localvocal #vocalforlocal #supportsmallbusiness #Germs #care #protect #prevent #peesafe #besafewithpeesafe

A post shared by Raho Safe (@rahosafein) on Sep 26, 2020 at 7:21am PDT

The idea behind the campaign is to take forward the brand’s motto of removing the mental block around hiding sanitary pads inside a newspaper or black bag, especially when men buy them and enable the transition from ‘Men Can Buy Pads’ to #menbuypads.

On Daughter’s Day, which is celebrated on September 27, Raho Safe launched a revolutionary digital advertisement that shows a man partaking in a conversation about menstruation. The video has already garnered 500k views.


The father decides to take his daughter to a mart to buy her a birthday present. He suggests a doll and a synthesizer. The daughter responds with a very innocent smile and reminds her father that she is 13 now and doesn't play with dolls anymore. He picks up a teddy bear because who doesn’t love a soft toy and finds his daughter in the hygiene section. She picks up Raho Safe’s Sanitary pad and her father looks at her proudly and nods. The voice over goes, “You don’t realise when the kids grow up. You should also act like an adult and embrace them. Help them maintain safe hygiene and stay healthy with Raho Safe.” (translated from Hindi)

The song in the background balances the mood quite well and acts like a cherry on the top. It asks, “Why doesn’t the world understand that my world has changed now? Your daughter who used to play with dolls has now grown up.”

Explaining the overall idea behind including men in the conversation, Vikas Bagaria, Founder, Raho Safe said, “It is a normal practice for me to buy sanitary pads for my wife. Neither am I ashamed to procure them nor do I hesitate to ask for them in a store. Young girls and women are the future and it is as much the responsibility of fathers as it is of mothers to ensure they have a hygienic and safe environment to realize their goals. Raho Safe sanitary pads are not only high quality but also affordable. I care about the women around me and it is time that other men do too in more ways than one.”

Elaborating on the brand’s motto behind the campaign, Bagaria added, “Today, menstrual hygiene is no longer a women’s issue alone and has a major impact on various other factors related to the overall household. Hence, it has to be considered as an important area which gets attention from all. We have created the campaign in a quirky manner to connect with the Gen Z. Our aim is to eliminate all taboos, misinformation and hesitations related to menstrual hygiene. The idea is to convey the message that there is no taboo or shame in being a man and buying sanitary pads,”

According to the reports by the National Family Health Survey, nearly 336 million women are menstruating in India and only about 121 million (roughly 42%) are using sanitary napkins, locally or commercially produced. Even though India has made great strides in addressing the taboo around menstruation and ensuring access to sanitary pads to those who cannot afford them; a lot still needs to be done.

Pharmacists can play a key role in normalising buying sanitary pads. They also feel uncomfortable when a woman goes to buy a sanitary pad. PeeSafe and RahoSafe have made conscious efforts to sensitise them as well.

“Pharmacists are key stakeholders in the whole process of ensuring optimal menstrual hygiene for women. They are responsible for making sanitary pads and all other menstrual hygiene products available to women all over India. Hence, they need to not only understand the importance of feminine hygiene, but also play a part in spreading awareness about the subject. We have consistently run campaigns that integrate various stakeholders into the process, and will do more in the future bringing in pharmacists as well,” shared Bagaria.