What is REDefine?
“REDefine” is a student-led, non-profit menstrual health campaign and movement aimed at promoting menstrual and sexual health and hygiene amongst the underprivileged population across India through talks at various government schools and NGOs.
Our name has to do with our mission of “redefining” the state of menstruation in our society. You may have guessed already, but the emphasis on “red” comes from the colour of blood. There is little to no awareness about these basic topics to most menstruating people, let alone their non-menstruating counterparts. There is a big stigma attached to the topic — talking about menstruation in public is rather ‘hush.’ We aim to stop that stigma by spreading awareness of menstrual and sexual health and hygiene to the underprivileged population via talks at other organisations.
How we started:
In grade 10, our founders conducted a survey on taboo topics like that of LGBTQ+, feminism, and menstruation called “All Things Unsaid.” Although they rarely encountered stigmatised remarks around periods and pads, the results of the survey showcased a palpable silence around menstruation. When asked about why pads are sold in black packets in India, one user said it was to prevent the spread of AIDS, cancer, and arthritis. This lack of understanding and awareness was what led to the birth of this campaign.
Meet the team:
Vedika Khosla
Vedika listens to songs while simultaneously doing any other work. When Vedika isn’t procrastinating, she spends her time studying and dancing. At other times she will be found watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S (the TV show). She longs for the rainy weather and school breaks (because she loves to travel). She hopes to pursue business management in the future. At REDefine, Vedika is a graphic designer and content creator.
Parnika Gupta
Parnika spends a solid 80% of her time kicking things off her reminders list and the other 20% screaming Taylor Swift into her showerhead or twirling barefoot in the middle of her room. She hopes to study economics (no more than 1 hour a day) at college and spend the rest of her time navigating cities, exploring beaches and taste-testing cookies and cream ice cream. At REDefine, Parnika is a writer.
Prathna Anand
Prathna prefers to be called by her nickname prathu. She is the embodiment of short (standing at five whole feet tall) and feisty. She loves ice cream and loves it more than most people. She’s constantly babied by her friends even though she is the eldest. She will not stop talking once you get her started. She’s excited about the idea of college and can’t wait to make more friends there. At REDefine, Prathna is a writer and artist.
Sia Aggarwal
Sia’s Spotify minutes run higher than the number of days she’s lived. She hates bad grammar and badly organised things and loves making new friends and fancy drinks. When she’s not crying about her workload, she’s either shooting hoops, at the gym or dancing. She likes books more than people and people more than textbooks. In the future, she hopes to study Business Management. At REDefine, Sia is a graphic designer, content creator and writer.
Sanvee Jatia
Sanvee spends her days with her dogs – Lindt and Sprungli – who are the perfect example of her love for chocolate. You’d often find her tucked away behind her LBD(P) – um, little black doodle pad, living in a world full of her fictitious characters. Instead of studying for her dreaded tenth grade boards, you’ll find Sanvee obsessing over Megalodons and the Mariana Trench. She hopes to pursue these interests at college! At REDefine, Sanvee is an artist.
From left to right, the second generation of REDefine: Yuvana Sahi, Siya Jatia, Tihara Wickramasinghe, Samara Sahi
The REDefine Campaign 