Eva, as Sri Lanka’s leading brand of sanitary napkins, is once again at the forefront of female empowerment with the brand’s latest project ‘Diyaniya’. This islandwide project is conducted in partnership with the State Ministry for Women and Child Development, Pre-Schools & Primary Education, School Infrastructure & Education Services, headed by Hon. State Minister, Piyal Nishantha de Silva.
The primary focus of the ‘Diyaniya’ initiative is to ensure that all school girls have their menstrual/ feminine hygiene needs satisfied, regardless of whether they can afford these essential items. In the initial phase, the programme will cover 250 schools, donating them sanitary cupboards which will include sanitary napkins, facemasks, sanitizers and other essential first aid items. The brand will then visit each and every school to conduct special workshops on feminine/menstrual hygiene with the support of trained professionals, ensuring that young students have the ability, knowledge and means to practice good feminine hygiene, aiming to improve their overall health and wellbeing. Eva will be play an instrumental part in the 'Diyaniya' programme throughout, supporting the government to realize its target of providing all school girls of the country with free access to sanitary products.
The launch of 'Diyaniya' programme was attended by the Hon. State Minister of Women and Child Development, Pre-Schools & Primary Education, School Infrastructure & Education Services, Piyal Nishantha de Silva, Mr.Sunil Kanojia, Group CEO, Capital Maharaja Group, Ms.KMSD Jayasekara, Secretary, State Ministry of Women and Child Development,Pre-Schools & Primary Education,School Infrastructure & Education Services, Ms.Anusha Gokula Fernando, Director General – Department of Manpower and Employment, Ms.Devika Kodituwakku, President, Government Midwives Association – Sri Lanka, and Ms.Chethika Rajapakse, Marketing Manager, ICL Brands Pvt Ltd.
Speaking about the project, which was his brainchild, Hon. State Minister, Piyal Nishantha de Silva had this to say. “'Diyaniya' initiative was conceptualized with the objective of providing free and easy access to the means of fulfilling sanitary needs, for female school students around the country. It is my great pleasure to see the project being realized as we celebrate International Women's Day 2021. We believe this initiative will play a crucial role in ensuring that young women do not miss school or other life opportunities due to lack of access to fulfil essential needs. Giving them access to better sanitation and feminine hygiene products will enhance all aspects of their lives, by affording them the freedom to focus on the things they love.”
Speaking about this groundbreaking endeavour, Mr. Sunil Kanojia, Group CEO, Capital Maharaja Group had this to say. “As an equal opportunity organization, we have always supported the ambitions of women both in the workplace and society at large. This latest venture by Eva is yet another indication of our commitment to the cause of women’s rights and female empowerment. The project will take a holistic approach and thereby raise awareness about the obstacles facing young women, especially in rural areas. We are confident that through a sustained effort we can normalize issues that are not often spoken about and thus give a voice to countless women who deserve to be heard.”
Devika Kodituwakku, President of Sri Lanka Government Midwives Association, commenting on the initiative said, “lack of sufficient access to menstrual hygiene products is a critical issue faced by most school children around the country that has not been adequately answered to this day. The impact of this problem has gone largely unnoticed. It is praiseworthy to note Eva's commitment to this cause. With the great commitment shown by all involved parties, we are confident that this initiative will bring about a sustainable solution and a true change''
Speaking about the ‘Diyaniya’ initiative, Marketing Manager – ICL Brands (Pvt) Ltd., Chethika Rajapakse said “As a brand that has won the love and trust of millions of Sri Lankan women, Eva has always been socially conscious and pushed forward the agenda of female empowerment. We are proud to partner with the State Ministry of Women and Child Development for this landmark project as this will truly empower thousands of young school students and enable them to lead more fulfilling lives. We have also planned more initiatives to further this endeavour which will come to fruition after the launch.”
As one such initiative, Eva introduced ‘Free and Easy by Eva’, a new economically priced sanitary napkin brand with the objective of increasing the overall accessibility and affordability to sanitary napkins for all Sri Lankan women. The brand made a donation of a ‘Free and Easy by Eva’ stock to the Sri Lanka Government Midwives' Association at the 'Diyaniya' launch event.
As another vital aspect of the project, Eva is also working to introduce a Short Code Hotline that will be launched for the benefit of all Sri Lankan women, especially school students. The hotline will enable women to privately and confidentially receive professional advice on a wide range of issues relating to feminine hygiene and reproductive health.
Eva, a household name cherished for generations, is Sri Lanka’s most trusted sanitary napkin brand. As the market leader, the brand currently holds over 75% + markets share in the respective product category. All Eva products are manufactured under SLS Certified, ISO – 9001 manufacturing processes, adhering to international quality standards, certified by NMRA. This is supported by the organization's state-of-the-art research and development facility that consistently works towards new and improved products, designed to give the modern woman the freedom she deserves to 'Lead with Confidence'.
