How Aditi Gupta is solving a problem rarely acknowledged, let alone discussed
Menstrupedia’s comics have helped dispel myths- and promoted hygiene- for millions of teenage girls across India and abroad
When Aditi got her first period at 12, her mom asked her to keep it secret from everyone in the family. She agreed, but didn’t understand the reasoning behind it. At school, her biology teacher skipped the subject entirely.
For long, educating girls on menstruation or bodily changes made teachers uncomfortable enough to just skip it entirely.
The menstruation period has for long been considered ‘impure’ where society forced girls on their periods to stay away from the temple, their male relatives or even the kitchen. A lack of information meant that most girls didn’t know what was happening to them, and the unfair restrictions placed by their mother and female relatives brought them shame, for no apparent reason. In an NGO Dasra report, nearly 71% of Indian teenage girls have no idea about menstruation until the day of their first menstruation.
Worse, UNICEF says that only 48% of rural Indian adolescent girls are aware of menstrual hygiene practices. Sanitary pads are still a privilege and not a right in most of the nation, and shame seems to be more readily available than soap.
An acceptable solution to an unaddressed challenge
As a student at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad, Aditi, alongside her colleague (and future husband) Tuhin Paul, chose to directly address a significant issue. For a college project, she decided to create a comic book. This book aimed to explain puberty and menstruation in a relatable way for teenage girls, free from judgment.
Comic books proved to be a great learning tool because their easy, conversational style and engaging, movie-like format made the topic interesting without being dull or repetitive.
“While creating the book, we were very careful to ensure all illustrations were appropriate and culturally sensitive. During our initial tests, we saw that girls loved the book. They were eager to read it and learn more about periods on their own,” Aditi explained. “Parents and teachers also felt comfortable discussing periods with young girls using the book, and sometimes even boys showed interest in reading it,” she added.
The finished book, titled Menstrupedia Comic, was released in September 2014. Its goal was to help girls aged 5-14 independently learn everything about menstruation without any prejudice.
A transformation for the better
Encouraged by their success, they expanded their reach with the website menstrupedia.com, along with their social media channels. The comics are now available online and in more than 36,500 schools across India and 23 other countries worldwide.
Aditi hasn’t stopped there; she has created a whole ecosystem around Menstrupedia. Her website showcases everything that Menstrupedia represents, including comic books and her outreach efforts. Her Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channels complement her initiatives, where she shares her views on various topics such as parenting, work-life balance, and other advice.
With a team of writers, artists, and illustrators, Aditi conducts detailed research into the various myths and challenges girls face. She also gathers diverse perspectives from parents, teachers, teenagers, and even doctors. The transformation from a college project to a social cause, entrepreneur and authority figure was (almost) complete.
An appearance cementing her cause
The biggest break came in 2023, when Namita Thapar invested Rs 50 lakhs for a 20% stake on Shark Tank. Since then, Aditi’s comics have become a part of the curriculum in more than 36,500 schools and have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Besides her appearance on Shark Tank, Aditi was recognized in the 2014 Forbes 30 Under 30 list for her innovative approach to menstruation education. Subsequently, she delivered a TED talk the next year and was invited to speak before the Indian parliament, where she urged policymakers to allow red liquid to be shown for sanitary pad ads on TV, a request that has been granted. Her work was also acknowledged by the World Economic Forum, which added her to the Global Shapers Community.
Aditi’s current goal is to transform Menstrupedia into an 8,000 crore company by expanding its offerings to include additional products and tools.
She also aims to build a community of 119,000 parents, 350 blog writers and 11 co-publishers in various countries like the Maldives, Hungary, Uruguay, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Nepal, UK, Malaysia and Egypt to further her cause.
Aditi Gupta has also launched the Gulu range of comics specifically for boys. She has demonstrated how creativity, empathetic design, and a strong commitment to social transformation can drive meaningful change through familiar and relatable narratives. In the coming years, the positive publicity she has generated is sure to help dispel myths, boost confidence, and assist children in understanding the changes they are experiencing.
<p>The post How Aditi Gupta is solving a problem rarely acknowledged, let alone discussed first appeared on Hello Entrepreneurs.</p>
