A great location has recently been found for the Business Support Centre (BSC) in Varanasi. Legal matters are currently being investigated as regards the on-site building options. In the meantime, a local architect has begun working on the concept design of the BSC buildings.
Women on Wings experts Hans Vermeulen and Jan Hofman, along with the BSC team from Varanasi, recently visited a sanitary pad production unit in Trichy. Based on this visit, a quote was requested from a selected machine supplier for the required equipment, and the raw materials of various suppliers were inspected. The next step is to set up the pilot location and make a more detailed outline of the BSC specifications.
Women on Wings is working on setting up a sanitary pad program in rural India. In time, new jobs will be created for women in production and sales. In order to teach women how to run their own business unit, a Business Support Centre has been set up in Varanasi. UNICEF, UNDP and the IKEA Foundation have been collaborating with Women on Wings on this program. In addition to their economic merits, the use of sanitary pads also has an important social and hygienic impact on women. It means that girls can attend school all month and women can continue to work, thereby guaranteeing more income for their families.
