Priyanka Rawat

Indian social entrepreneur revolutionizing menstrual health access through affordable biodegradable products

Priyanka Rawat (b.1994) is a visionary social entrepreneur from India who has made significant contributions to women's health and environmental sustainability through her enterprise FemFresh. Starting in 2020 during the pandemic lockdowns, she identified two critical challenges facing Indian women: lack of access to affordable menstrual hygiene products and the environmental damage caused by plastic-based sanitary pads.

Rawat developed a groundbreaking biodegradable pad made from locally sourced banana fiber and cornstarch, which decomposes within 6 months compared to plastic pads that take 500-800 years. Her products are priced 40% lower than conventional brands, making them accessible to low-income communities. Through a network of rural women entrepreneurs called 'FemFresh Ladies,' she created 12,000+ micro-enterprises across 22 Indian states by 2023.

Her innovation received global recognition including the UN Young Changemaker Award (2021) and Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2022). Rawat's work has directly impacted over 3 million women while reducing plastic waste by an estimated 1,200 metric tons annually. She pioneered the 'Pad for Pad' initiative - for every product sold, one is donated to underprivileged girls in rural areas. Her TEDx talk How We Made Menstrual Products Accessible to All has over 2 million views.

Rawat's approach combines social enterprise with circular economy principles. She established partnerships with agricultural cooperatives to source raw materials, creating additional income streams for farmers. Her company's zero-waste manufacturing process uses solar energy and rainwater harvesting systems. In 2023, she launched the first menstrual health museum in India to educate communities about hygiene and break taboos.