How to Measure Menstrual Hygiene CSR Impact in Jaipur
Menstrual hygiene is one of the most underfunded areas of CSR in India. And yet, when done right, it is also one of the most impactful.
A single sanitary pad vending machine in a government school can change attendance patterns for hundreds of girls. A well-designed awareness session can shift mindsets that have remained unchanged for generations. A six-month supply of pads can mean the difference between a girl staying in school or dropping out.
But here is the challenge most companies face: how do you actually measure the impact of these projects?
If you are a CSR head at a company running menstrual hygiene initiatives in Jaipur, this question probably keeps you up at night. Your board wants numbers. Your CSR committee wants proof that the money is being spent well. And you want to know that your project is genuinely making a difference, not just ticking a compliance box.
In this article, I will walk you through exactly what to measure, how to measure it, and what realistic impact looks like for menstrual hygiene CSR projects in Jaipur.
Why Jaipur Needs Menstrual Hygiene CSR Projects
Before we get into measurement, let us understand the context.
Rajasthan has some of the lowest menstrual hygiene awareness rates in India. According to NFHS-5 data, only about 59% of women aged 15 to 24 in Rajasthan use hygienic methods of menstrual protection. In rural areas around Jaipur, this number drops even further.
The consequences are serious. Girls miss school during their periods. Women suffer from infections due to unhygienic practices. And the stigma around menstruation keeps the topic hidden, preventing open discussion and education.
This is why menstrual hygiene falls squarely under Schedule VII of the Companies Act. It qualifies under promoting healthcare, promoting education, and promoting gender equality. Companies investing in this area are not just doing good. They are addressing a genuine public health gap.
Organisations like Marpu Foundation have been running menstrual hygiene programmes across Rajasthan, including Jaipur district, covering everything from pad distribution to awareness sessions to vending machine installation in schools. The demand from communities is high. The challenge is ensuring that every rupee spent creates measurable, lasting change.
The Problem with How Most Companies Measure Impact
Let me be honest. Most CSR impact reports I have seen for menstrual hygiene projects are weak.
They focus on output metrics. How many pads distributed. How many sessions conducted. How many machines installed. These numbers look impressive in a PowerPoint presentation, but they tell you nothing about whether the project actually worked.
Here is an example. A company distributes 10,000 sanitary pads to women in Jaipur district. The report says: "10,000 pads distributed to 2,000 beneficiaries."
What does that actually tell you?
Did the women use the pads? Did they switch from unhygienic methods? Did their health improve? Did their daughters start attending school more regularly? Did the stigma reduce in their households?
None of that is captured.
If you want to measure real impact, you need to go beyond outputs and look at outcomes. And that requires a different approach to data collection and reporting.
What to Measure for Menstrual Hygiene CSR Projects
Here is a practical framework for measuring menstrual hygiene CSR impact in Jaipur. I have broken it down into four categories: reach, behaviour change, health outcomes, and sustainability.
Category 1: Reach Metrics
These are your basic output numbers. They are necessary but not sufficient.
Number of beneficiaries reached (women and girls)
Number of schools or Anganwadis covered
Number of villages or urban wards covered
Number of sanitary pads distributed
Number of vending machines installed
Number of awareness sessions conducted
Number of participants in each session
For Jaipur-specific projects, you should also track:
Coverage in rural vs urban areas
Coverage in government schools vs private schools
Coverage in tribal or SC/ST communities (if applicable)
These numbers answer the question: "How much did we do?"
But they do not answer: "Did it work?"
Category 2: Behaviour Change Metrics
This is where real impact measurement begins.
Behaviour change is hard to measure, but it is the most important indicator of whether your project is working. Here is what to track:
Percentage of beneficiaries who switched from unhygienic methods (cloth, ash, leaves) to sanitary pads after the intervention
Percentage of beneficiaries who now dispose of pads safely and hygienically
Percentage of girls who report reduced absenteeism during periods
Percentage of women who now discuss menstruation openly with their daughters
Percentage of households where male family members are now aware of menstrual hygiene basics
Percentage of beneficiaries who purchased pads on their own after the free supply ended
The last metric is critical. If women continue buying pads after your project ends, you have created sustainable behaviour change. If they revert to old methods, your project was just a temporary intervention.
Marpu Foundation tracks these behaviour change metrics through baseline and endline surveys conducted at the start and end of every menstrual hygiene project. This allows companies to see the actual shift in behaviour, not just the number of pads distributed.
Category 3: Health Outcome Metrics
These are harder to measure and often require longer project timelines. But they are the ultimate proof of impact.
Reduction in reported reproductive tract infections among beneficiaries
Reduction in skin rashes and allergies related to unhygienic menstrual practices
Improvement in school attendance rates for girls during menstruation days
Reduction in school dropout rates among adolescent girls
For health metrics, you will need partnerships with local health workers, ASHA workers, or PHC staff who can help collect data. You may also need to conduct periodic health check-ups as part of the project.
In Jaipur, the Rajasthan government has a network of ASHA workers and ANMs who can support data collection if your NGO partner coordinates with them properly.
Category 4: Sustainability Metrics
A good CSR project does not create dependency. It creates self-sustaining systems.
Here is what to measure for sustainability:
Is the vending machine still functional 6 months after installation?
Is someone responsible for refilling the machine regularly?
Have local women been trained to produce low-cost pads locally?
Is there a local supply chain for affordable pads in the area?
Have teachers or ASHA workers been trained to continue awareness sessions after the project ends?
Is there a budget allocation from the school or panchayat for ongoing supplies?
If your project installs a vending machine but nobody refills it, your impact is temporary. If your project trains local women to produce pads and creates a micro-enterprise, your impact is permanent.
How to Collect This Data in Jaipur
Now let us talk about the practical side. How do you actually collect all this data?
Step 1: Conduct a Baseline Survey
Before the project begins, survey the target beneficiaries. Ask about their current menstrual hygiene practices, awareness levels, school attendance (for girls), and health issues. This gives you a starting point to measure against.
Step 2: Maintain Distribution Records
Keep detailed records of every distribution. Name, age, location, contact number (if available), and what was provided. This allows you to follow up later.
Step 3: Conduct Periodic Check-Ins
Do not wait until the project ends to measure impact. Conduct check-ins at 3 months and 6 months. Are beneficiaries still using the pads? Are the machines working? Are awareness levels improving?
Step 4: Conduct an Endline Survey
At the end of the project, survey the same beneficiaries again. Compare the results with the baseline. This gives you your behaviour change and health outcome metrics.
Step 5: Document Qualitative Stories
Numbers are important, but stories bring impact to life. Collect 5 to 10 detailed testimonials from beneficiaries. Video testimonials are even better. These help communicate impact to your board, employees, and external stakeholders.
Step 6: Third-Party Verification (Optional)
For larger projects, consider hiring a third-party agency to verify your impact data. This adds credibility to your CSR report and satisfies audit requirements.
Marpu Foundation provides end-to-end impact documentation for all menstrual hygiene projects, including baseline surveys, distribution records, endline surveys, and impact reports with photos and testimonials. This ensures that companies have audit-ready documentation for their CSR-2 filings.
What Realistic Impact Looks Like
Let me give you some realistic benchmarks based on what well-executed menstrual hygiene projects in Rajasthan typically achieve.
For a 6-month pad distribution project covering 1,000 women:
70 to 85% of beneficiaries switch from unhygienic methods to sanitary pads
60 to 75% report improved comfort and reduced health issues
50 to 65% continue purchasing pads after the free supply ends
For a school-based vending machine project covering 5 schools:
80 to 90% reduction in period-related absenteeism among girls
70 to 80% of girls report feeling more confident attending school during periods
60 to 70% of teachers report improved classroom participation from girls
For an awareness-focused project covering 20 villages:
75 to 85% improvement in awareness about safe menstrual practices
50 to 60% of households report increased openness in discussing menstruation
40 to 50% of male family members show improved awareness
These are not guaranteed results. They depend on project design, NGO execution, and community context. But they give you a sense of what good impact looks like.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Before I wrap up, here are some common mistakes companies make when measuring menstrual hygiene CSR impact.
Measuring only outputs (pads distributed) and ignoring outcomes (behaviour change)
Not conducting a baseline survey, which makes it impossible to measure change
Collecting data only at the end, missing the opportunity for course correction
Ignoring sustainability metrics and assuming the project will continue on its own
Not involving local health workers who can provide ongoing support and data
Over-claiming impact without evidence, which creates credibility problems later
Focusing only on urban Jaipur and ignoring rural areas where the need is greater
Planning a Menstrual Hygiene CSR Project in Jaipur?
If you are planning a menstrual hygiene project in Jaipur and want to ensure measurable, sustainable impact, we can help.
Marpu Foundation runs comprehensive menstrual hygiene programmes across Rajasthan, including sanitary pad distribution, vending machine installation, awareness sessions, and local production training. We provide complete impact documentation so you have audit-ready reports for your CSR committee.
Write to us at connect@marpu.org
