When Geeta Solanki found herself suffering from a Bartholin’s cyst and the rough scrape of a plastic sanitary pad, she realised the problem ran deep. From a coastal town in Gujarat, she had seen how disposable pads were often unaffordable or inaccessible in rural India. 

In 2018, she co-founded Unipads, a social enterprise that designs reusable cloth pads and builds its production units with women from rural communities. What began as a personal relief strategy grew into an inclusive model: teaching tailoring skills, creating a network of 190+ women as local resellers, and breaking the silence around menstruation. 
Unipads has so far impacted over 4 million women, offering reusable kits, educational workshops and community-led awareness campaigns against entrenched taboos. Beyond menstrual health, the initiative fosters economic independence and environmental sustainability - halving plastic waste and ensuring dignity for many who once had little choice.

Solanki’s story shows how one simple switch - towards cloth, dignity and local empowerment - can become a movement.