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2021-03-10T17:11:42Z

removed Category:2015 establishments in India; added Category:2015 establishments in Maharashtra using HotCat

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Myna Mahila Foundation
| image = Mynah Mahila Foundation logo 2018.png
| founded_date = 2015
| location = [[Mumbai, India]]
| focus = Encouraging open conversations around menstruation & enabling low-cost sanitary products
| homepage = [https://mynamahila.com/ mynamahila.com]
}}

The '''Myna Mahila Foundation''' ('''MMF''') is an Indian organization which empowers women by encouraging discussion of taboo subjects such as menstruation, and by setting up workshops to produce low-cost sanitary protection to enable girls to stay in school. It was founded by [[Suhani Jalota]] in 2015 while she was studying at [[Duke University]].<ref name="duke">{{cite web|title=Suhani Jalota|url=https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/associate/suhani-jalota-2/|website=Innovation and Entrepreneurship|publisher=Duke University|accessdate=17 May 2018}}</ref>

The foundation's name comes from the [[Myna]] bird, famously talkative, and the word "Mahila" for "Woman".<ref name=time />

In 2016 ''[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]'' magazine listed the foundation's founder Jalota as one of its "College Women of the Year".<ref name="militare">{{cite web|last1=Militare|first1=Jessica|title=2016 College Women of the Year: Suhani Jalota|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/suhani-jalota-2016-college-women-of-the-year|website=Glamour|accessdate=17 May 2018}}</ref>

It was one of the seven organisations nominated by [[Prince Harry]] and [[Meghan Markle]] to receive donations in lieu of wedding presents when the couple [[Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle|married on 19 May 2018]].<ref name="hindu">{{cite news|title=No wedding gift please, give aid to Mumbai charity: Harry and Meghan|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/no-wedding-gift-please-give-aid-to-mumbai-charity-harry-and-meghan/story-fbxRHKIkj5SrB2dCqeDKLP.html|accessdate=17 May 2018|work=Hindustan Times|date=10 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="bbc-april9">{{cite news|title=Royal wedding: Harry and Meghan ask for charity donations|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43699877|accessdate=17 May 2018|work=BBC News|date=9 April 2018}}</ref><ref name="royal">{{cite web|title=Royal Wedding Charitable Donations|url=https://www.royal.uk/wedding-charity-donations|publisher=The Royal Household|accessdate=17 May 2018}}</ref> In 2017 Markle wrote an article about the foundation for ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, with the title "How Periods Affect Potential", after a trip to Delhi and Mumbai with [[World Vision]] where she met and shadowed women involved.<ref name="time">{{cite news|last1=Markle|first1=Meghan|title=How Periods Affect Potential|url=http://time.com/4694568/meghan-markle-period-stigma/|accessdate=17 May 2018|work=Time|date=8 March 2017}}</ref> The same year Markle included the foundation's founder Jalota in a list of "The Ten Women Who Changed My Life" in ''[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]'' magazine.<ref name="markle-glam">{{cite news|last1=Markle|first1=Meghan|title=The Ten Women Who Changed My Life|url=https://www.glamour.com/story/meghan-markle-10-women-who-changed-my-life|accessdate=17 May 2018|work=[[Glamour (magazine)|Glamour]]|date=15 August 2017}}</ref>

==Purpose==
Apart from encouraging conversations around taboo subjects such as menstruation, the foundation provides stable employment to women dwelling in slums by encouraging them to manufacture low cost sanitary napkins that they can sell back into their communities at a fraction of the cost, thus improving menstrual hygiene of the communities too and empowering the women. <ref name="Quint-19May18"> {{cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/celebrities/suhani-jalota-clad-in-saree-at-royal-wedding|title=Myna Foundation’s Suhani Jalota Dons a Saree at Royal Wedding|date=19 May 2018|access-date=21 May 2018|website=The Quint}} </ref><ref name="HuffingtonPost-18May18"> {{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2018/05/18/mumbais-myna-mahila-is-one-of-the-7-charities-invited-to-the-royal-wedding-by-meghan-and-harry_a_23437679/|title=Inside Myna Mahila, The Indian Charity Transforming Women's Lives That's Been Invited To The Royal Wedding|first=Ankur|last=Pathak|website=Huffington Post|date=18 May 2018|access-date=21 May 2018}} </ref>

==Current Work==
With about 3000 customers, the foundation employs about 35 women, 15 of whom work as manufacturers and the other 20 work as saleswomen for the product. They expect to reach 10000 customers by the end of 2018.<ref name="HuffingtonPost-18May18" /> It also empowers its staff by training them in women's health, English, Math, and life skills such as self-defence. <ref name="Royal"> {{cite web|url=https://www.royal.uk/myna-mahila-foundation|title=Myna Mahila Foundation|website=The Home of the Royal Family|access-date=21 May 2018}}</ref> On the support received via the royal wedding, founder Jalota said that it would further help them expand their reach into the urban slums in Mumbai. <ref name="ET-20May18"> {{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/epitome-of-indian-beauty-myna-mahila-foundations-members-wear-saree-to-the-royal-wedding/articleshow/64242790.cms|title=
Epitome of Indian beauty: Myna Mahila Foundation members wear saree to the royal wedding|date=20 May 2018|publisher=Economic Times|access-date=29 May 2018}} </ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|https://mynamahila.com/}}

[[Category:Foundations based in India]]
[[Category:Women's organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Menstrual cycle]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 2015]]
[[Category:2015 establishments in Maharashtra]]

{{India-org-stub}}

Myna Mahila Foundation - Revision history

>Johnpacklambert: removed Category:2015 establishments in India; added Category:2015 establishments in Maharashtra using HotCat