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{{Short description|Indian social worker and entrepreneur}}
{{Use indian english|date=May 2025}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}{{Infobox person
| name = Maya Vishwakarma
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|10|13}}
| birth_place = Mehragaon, [[Narsinghpur district]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], India
| education = [[Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya]] (BSc, MSc Biochemistry)<br/>[[All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi]] (Thesis work)
| occupation = [[Social activist]], [[Social entrepreneur]]
| known_for = Menstrual hygiene activism, [[Social work]]
| title = Founder & Chairperson, Sukarma Foundation<br/>Sarpanch, Saikheda Gram Panchayat
| website = {{URL|https://sukarmafoundation.org/}}
}}

'''Maya Vishwakarma''' ({{Langx|hi|माया विश्वकर्मा}}, born October 13, 1982) is an Indian social activist and entrepreneur known for her work on [[menstrual hygiene]] awareness in rural and tribal areas of [[Madhya Pradesh]]. She is also known as the "Padwoman of India".<ref name="Graphream2">{{cite web |title=Maya Vishwakarma: The Padwoman of India |url=https://www.graphream.com/editorial/maya-vishwakarma-the-padwoman-of-india%7C11856 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Graphream |archive-date=13 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113010017/https://www.graphream.com/editorial/maya-vishwakarma-the-padwoman-of-india%7C11856 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="HerCircleEmpowering2">{{cite web |date=2022-03-11 |title=Empowering Women Through Menstrual Awareness: Maya Vishwakarma, Padwoman of India |url=https://www.hercircle.in/engage/get-inspired/achievers/empowering-women-through-menstrual-awareness-maya-vishwakarma-padwoman-of-india-2405.html |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Her Circle |archive-date=3 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203233244/https://www.hercircle.in/engage/get-inspired/achievers/empowering-women-through-menstrual-awareness-maya-vishwakarma-padwoman-of-india-2405.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="DeccanChronicle2">{{cite news |date=2022-03-08 |title=Ordinary women, extraordinary contributions |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/featured/070322/ordinary-women-extraordinary-contributions.html |access-date=2025-05-05 |work=Deccan Chronicle |archive-date=20 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420222847/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/featured/070322/ordinary-women-extraordinary-contributions.html |url-status=live }}</ref> She founded the Sukarma Foundation in 2016 to address menstrual health issues, provide low-cost sanitary napkins, and promote rural development.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meet 'Pad Jiji', a US-returned Scholar Taking Menstrual Hygiene to Madhya Pradesh's Tribals Belts |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/meet-mps-pad-jiji-a-us-returned-scholar-taking-menstrual-hygiene-to-tribals-1653759.html |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=News18 |language=en |archive-date=21 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250521003948/https://www.news18.com/news/india/meet-mps-pad-jiji-a-us-returned-scholar-taking-menstrual-hygiene-to-tribals-1653759.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Maya Vishwakarma was born in Mehragaon village in the [[Narsinghpur district]] of Madhya Pradesh, India, on October 13, 1982 in a Vaishwakarmana sect family.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maya Vishwakarma: books, biographies, latest update |url=https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01M7SUQ9T/about |access-date={{TODAY}} |website=[[Amazon.com]]}}</ref><ref name="HerCircleInitiatives2">{{cite web |date=2022-08-16 |title=Women-Led Initiatives Empowering Indian Women |url=https://www.hercircle.in/engage/get-inspired/achievers/womenled-initiatives-empowering-indian-women-2274.html |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Her Circle |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211194333/https://www.hercircle.in/engage/get-inspired/achievers/womenled-initiatives-empowering-indian-women-2274.html |url-status=live }}</ref> She grew up with limited access to information about menstruation, considered a taboo and significant health challenge in India.<ref name="HerCircleEmpowering2" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Wiki Impact |date=2020-12-21 |title=Breaking The Hush-Hush About Period Poverty |url=https://www.wikiimpact.com/breaking-the-hush-hush-about-period-poverty/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Wiki Impact |language=en-US}}</ref> She has stated that she did not use sanitary pads until age 26 due to lack of access and awareness.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-03-18 |title=Exclusive: Padwoman of India, Maya Vishwakarma’s never-ending pursuit to eliminate menstrual taboos in India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/love-sex/exclusive-padwoman-of-india-maya-vishwakarmas-never-ending-pursuit-to-eliminate-menstrual-taboos-in-india/articleshow/81550690.cms |access-date=2025-05-05 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925232627/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/love-sex/exclusive-padwoman-of-india-maya-vishwakarmas-never-ending-pursuit-to-eliminate-menstrual-taboos-in-india/articleshow/81550690.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

After completing high school, she attended [[Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya]] (RDVV University) in [[Jabalpur]], earning Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Biochemistry. She conducted Master's thesis work at the [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi]] (AIIMS) in Nuclear Medicine and later worked there as a Junior Research Fellow.<ref name=":0" /> She moved to the United States for a PhD program in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the [[South Dakota School of Mines and Technology]], which she did not complete.<ref name="SukarmaFounder2">{{cite web |title=Founder |url=https://sukarmafoundation.org/founder/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Sukarma Foundation |archive-date=20 May 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250520081635/https://sukarmafoundation.org/founder/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Subsequently, she worked in cancer biology research, focusing on [[leukemia]], at the [[University of California, San Francisco]] (UCSF).<ref name="HerCircleInitiatives2" />

== Career and activism ==
Vishwakarma cited personal health issues related to menstrual hygiene practices, along with her observations of limited awareness and access in her home region, as motivations for her later work.<ref name="HerCircleEmpowering2" /><ref name="SHEROES2">{{cite web |date=2018-03-12 |title=Daughter Of A Blacksmith Prefers To Be The Padwoman of Rural India Rather Than A Scientist In USA |url=https://sheroes.com/articles/indias-padwoman/NzAwMg== |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=SHEROES |archive-date=14 June 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250614111715/https://sheroes.com/articles/indias-padwoman/NzAwMg== |url-status=live }}</ref> She was also inspired by [[Arunachalam Muruganantham]], known for inventing a low-cost sanitary pad machine.<ref name="DeccanChronicle2" /><ref name="SHEROES2" /> She left her research position in the US and returned to India to engage in social work.

=== Sukarma Foundation ===
In 2016, Vishwakarma established the Sukarma Foundation, a non-profit organization registered in India and the US.<ref name="HerCircleInitiatives2" /><ref name="SukarmaIndia2">{{cite web |title=Sukarma Foundation India |url=https://sukarmafoundation.in/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=sukarmafoundation.in |archive-date=22 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240922033819/https://sukarmafoundation.in/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The foundation works to increase awareness of menstrual hygiene, aiming to reduce associated stigma and educate women on health risks like [[Reproductive tract infection|RTIs]], [[Urinary tract infection|UTIs]], and potential links to [[Cervical cancer]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Team |first=DNA Web |title=DNA Women Achievers Awards 2023: Meet Maya Vishwakarma, the Padwoman of India spreading menstrual awareness |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-dna-women-achievers-awards-2023-meet-maya-vishwakarma-the-padwoman-of-india-spreading-menstrual-awareness-3026369 |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=DNA India |language=en |archive-date=19 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230319055256/https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-dna-women-achievers-awards-2023-meet-maya-vishwakarma-the-padwoman-of-india-spreading-menstrual-awareness-3026369 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="RightsOfEquality2">{{cite web |title=menstruation stigma - Rights of Equality |url=https://www.rightsofequality.com/tag/menstruation-stigma/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Rights of Equality |archive-date=20 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420234248/https://www.rightsofequality.com/tag/menstruation-stigma/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A key activity is the manufacture and distribution of low-cost sanitary napkins under the brand name "No Tension".<ref name=":0" /><ref name="DeccanChronicle2" /> A mini-factory was set up in Narsinghpur district in 2017, employing local women and utilizing machines based on Muruganantham's design to produce pads with SAP polymer sheets.<ref name="HerCircleEmpowering2" /><ref name="TOIBlog2">{{cite web |title=Maya Vishwakarma Blog |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/author/maya-vishwakarma/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Times of India Blog |archive-date=19 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619203554/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/author/maya-vishwakarma/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="SHEROES2" /> The foundation has also expanded into providing primary healthcare services through telemedicine centers in remote areas and conducting health camps, including [[mammography]] screenings.<ref name="SukarmaIndia2" /> Additionally, it offers skill development programs, such as tailoring, for local women.<ref name="Graphream2" /> Vishwakarma has traveled within Madhya Pradesh to engage with communities regarding these initiatives.<ref name="Graphream2" />

During [[COVID-19 lockdown in India]], her foundation setup camps at Nandner Village to distribute soaps, sanitisers, sanitary napkins, medicines, and other supplies to over 20,000 migrant workers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madhya Pradesh's Sukarma Foundation Has Helped Feed Over 20,000 People Amid Lockdown |url=https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/album-detail/madhya-pradeshs-sukarma-foundation-has-helped-feed-over-20000-people-amid-lockdown-99066/ |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth Swachh India |language=en-US |archive-date=21 April 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250421204231/https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/album-detail/madhya-pradeshs-sukarma-foundation-has-helped-feed-over-20000-people-amid-lockdown-99066/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Political career ===
Vishwakarma contested the 2014 [[Lok Sabha]] elections from the Narmadapuram constituency as an [[Aam Aadmi Party]] candidate, but was not elected.<ref name="Mooknayak2">{{cite web |date=2022-07-21 |title=MP: Padwoman Maya Vishwakarma gave up American job to educate women about menstruation |url=https://en.themooknayak.com/women-news/mp-padwoman-maya-vishwakarma-gave-up-american-job-to-educate-women-about-menstruation |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=The Mooknayak}}</ref> In July 2022, she was elected unopposed as the [[Sarpanch]] (village council head) of the Saikheda Gram Panchayat in Narsinghpur district.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Madhya Pradesh: Former US researcher gets elected as sarpanch with all-female panchayat body in Narsinghpur |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/former-us-researcher-gets-elected-as-panchayat-sarpanch-unopposed-in-an-all-woman-body-in-narsinghpur |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=Free Press Journal |language=en |archive-date=4 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704205508/https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/former-us-researcher-gets-elected-as-panchayat-sarpanch-unopposed-in-an-all-woman-body-in-narsinghpur |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Awards and recognition ==
Vishwakarma is sometimes referred to as the "Padwoman of India" or "Pad-Jiji" (Pad Sister).<ref name="Mooknayak2" /><ref name="SHEROES2" /> Her 2016 documentary film, ''Swaraj Mumkin Hai'' (Independence is Possible), about the model village of Baghuwar in Narsinghpur district, received the 'Best Social Entrepreneur Short Film' award at the World Independent Film Festival in San Francisco in 2018.<ref name="PIOTV2">{{cite web |title=Documentary by Maya Vishwakarma wins short film award |url=https://piotv.com/bollywood/Documentary-by-Maya-Vishwakarma-wins-short-film-award |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=PIO TV}}</ref><ref name="TOIAward2">{{cite news |date=2018-08-24 |title=Padwoman's documentary wins US award |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/padwomans-documentary-wins-us-award/articleshow/65528833.cms |access-date=2025-05-05 |work=The Times of India |archive-date=22 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222065432/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/padwomans-documentary-wins-us-award/articleshow/65528833.cms |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2020, she received the Devi Award for her menstrual hygiene awareness work.<ref>{{Cite web |last=archive |first=From our online |date=2020-02-29 |title=Work to make Madhya Pradesh safest state for women: CM Kamal Nath |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/Feb/29/work-to-make-madhya-pradesh-safest-state-for-women-cm-kamal-nath-2110097.html |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en |archive-date=26 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126122828/https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/feb/29/work-to-make-madhya-pradesh-safest-state-for-women-cm-kamal-nath-2110097.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Women's health in India]]
* [[Menstrual hygiene management]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==

* {{imdb title|8890934|Swaraj Mumkin Hai}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vishwakarma, Maya}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian social entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:1982 births]]
[[Category:People from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Activists from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Women's health in India]]
[[Category:Social workers from Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Menstruation in India]]

Maya Vishwakarma - Revision history

Nayem: put up info...