Transgender people to set up menstrual cup manufacturing unit in Patna

• Transgender people are setting up a menstrual cup manufacturing unit and a restaurant in Patna under the banner of an NGO
• A building for the manufacturing unit has already been constructed on one kattha plot provided by the state government near Gandhi Maidan
• The building construction fund was raised through crowdfunding as the government showed little interest in it

Contrary to their image, transgender people are setting up a menstrual cup manufacturing unit and a restaurant in Patna under the banner of an NGO. A building for the manufacturing unit has already been constructed on one kattha plot provided by the state government near Gandhi Maidan. The building construction fund was raised through crowdfunding as the government showed little interest in it.

"We constructed the building by raising money through crowdfunding, but now we need more money to set up the unit. We need Rs 1.10 crore to make the unit operational," NGO Dostanasafar founder and secretary Reshma Prasad told TOI. on Tuesday. Prasad said they have raised Rs 17 crore through crowdfunding to construct the buildings and are now exploring options to raise money to set up the unit.

Once operational, the unit will not only provide employment to trans persons but also to women, Prasad said. "We could eliminate menstrual poverty among women in the country if we get support from the government. We are very serious about it," Prasad said, adding that they were looking for more than just traditional jobs, looking for money to bless newlyweds or newborns. , have some stable sources of income.

Menstrual cups are small, flexible, funnel-shaped devices usually made of rubber or silicone that are inserted into women's private parts during menstruation. These cups, unlike tampons and pads, can absorb more blood, making them economical, health experts say. The NGO is also in the process of setting up a restaurant that will be run entirely by trans women in the same building, Prasad said. There are also plans to set up canteens in the offices.

The state government has already launched an initiative to recruit trans people into the police force and lump them with the Other Backward Castes (OBC) category to give them benefits of reservation. However, the number of trans people who are recruited into the police force is very small. According to government policy, a transgender will be appointed for every 500 appointments. This means that a maximum of 20 transgender people can get jobs if the government issues an advertisement for the recruitment of 10,000 police officers.