When conflict erupts, headlines often focus on the immediate — lives lost, homes destroyed, families displaced. But behind each of these headlines is a quieter crisis that rarely gets spoken about.

In Poonch, where 13 civilians were killed and dozens injured during recent shelling, families have been forced to flee their homes. In such moments, survival becomes the only priority. Food, shelter, medicine — all take centre stage. But for women, something as basic as menstrual hygiene quietly slips through the cracks.

In this urgent moment, two organisations — ‘Pad Squad’ and ‘Fabpad’ — have come together with a shared mission: to support 5,000 women in Poonch with sustainable, safe, and dignified period care with their ‘Together for Poonch’ campaign. Click here to do your bit.

According to a study published in the journal BMJ Global Health, “approximately 6,91,300 women and adolescents (across the world) now face serious challenges in managing menstruation, especially with war-associated stress, increased menstrual abnormalities, and the lack of remedies made available in response to their escalating needs.”

We sat down with Monica........

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