Indian Premier League (IPL) team the Rajasthan Royals have signed a sponsorship agreement with Indian company sanitary towel company Niine. They will be the first major sports team to sport a sanitary pad maker’s logo on their jerseys in India. "This is a taboo topic in India and in many countries around the world. In India, there is a general lack of awareness regarding the issue. Not just in men, but women too," said Jake Lush McCrum, the club's chief operating officer. Of India's 350 million menstruating women and girls, only about 8 million use sanitary pads, according to Niine. Many of the rest use unhygienic methods such as unsuitable scraps of cloth, dirty rags or leaves due to either a lack of awareness, access or affordability. Last month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about menstrual hygiene in his August 15 Independence Day speech, drawing widespread praise on social media. Amar Tulsiyan, founder of Niine and a social entrepreneur, said one of the main aims of the sponsorship deal was to raise awareness among men who often control family expenditure on everyday items, including sanitary products. Millions of cricket fans will watch the Indian Premier League, which will be played in the United Arab Emirates from September 19 to November 10 this year after India decided it could not host it due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Brian Sturgess
