Kerala to Install Pad Vending Machines, Incinerators at KSRTC Terminals and Tourist Spots

Kerala will launch the WOMN (Women on the Move & Menstrual Needs) initiative on October 6 to provide access to sanitary napkins at public places, including tourist destinations and KSRTC terminals and depots, the state government said.

The initiative is being implemented by the Women and Child Development Department as part of the state government’s 100-day action programme. Women and Child Development Minister Bindu Krishna will inaugurate the programme at the Thampanoor KSRTC bus terminal in Thiruvananthapuram at 5 pm on Tuesday.

Under WOMN, sanitary napkin vending machines will be installed at major tourist destinations, KSRTC terminals and depots and other public places across Kerala. The government said the machines will make sanitary napkins available at affordable rates to women and girls while travelling across the state.

The programme will also provide facilities for disposal of used sanitary napkins. Incinerators will be installed along with the vending machines at the locations covered under the initiative.

The October 3 announcement did not provide a district-wise list of the tourist destinations, KSRTC terminals, depots or other public facilities where the machines and incinerators will be installed.

Kerala already has a state menstrual hygiene programme through the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation (KSWDC). Its Menstrual Hygiene Management programme includes access to sanitary napkins, napkin destroyers, vending machines and menstrual cups. The corporation’s She Pad project has also involved the distribution of sanitary pads and installation of vending machines and disposal facilities in government and aided schools.

The new WOMN initiative extends the stated coverage to public locations used by women and girls, particularly transport facilities and tourist destinations. It is aimed at making sanitary napkins available when users are away from home and providing disposal infrastructure at the same locations.

The October 6 launch will mark the formal rollout of WOMN, with Thampanoor KSRTC bus terminal serving as the venue for the inaugural programme. The department has not yet specified the number of vending machines or incinerators to be installed under WOMN itself.