Maya Vishwakarma: The Padwoman of India Redefining Health & Dignity

Menstrual Changemaker & Social Entrepreneur

From Lab Coats to Sanitary Pads

Maya Vishwakarma grew up in Mehragaon village, Narsinghpur district, Madhya Pradesh, where menstruation was a taboo she understood only after the age of 26. Trained in biochemistry and involved in cancer research at AIIMS Delhi and UCSF, she made a deliberate choice - leaving her research career in the U.S. - to return home and address pressing health challenges for rural women.

Founding Sukarma Foundation

In 2016, Maya established the Sukarma Foundation to break menstrual taboos. Under the brand "No Tension," her team set up a mini-factory in Narsinghpur to manufacture low-cost sanitary pads using semi-automated machines. This initiative not only provided hygienic products but also employment and dignity to local women, along with regular health camps and telemedicine services.

Holistic Health & Community Impact

Beyond pads, Sukarma has expanded into broader healthcare through telemedicine units, mammography screenings, and skill-building workshops in rural Madhya Pradesh. During the COVID‑19 lockdown, Maya’s team supported over 20,000 migrant workers by distributing essential hygiene items and medical supplies.

Awarded for Impact

Known as both the Padwoman of India and Pad‑Jiji, Maya’s work has won her recognition including the Devi Award, and acclaim for her documentary *Swaraj Mumkin Hai* (Independence is Possible), which won Best Social Entrepreneur Short Film at the World Independent Film Festival. She also serves as Sarpanch of her village council, leading grassroots change.

A Movement of Empowerment

Maya Vishwakarma continues to dismantle stigma, cultivate health awareness, and build empowered communities - proving that a single thoughtful act can ripple into a movement of transformative impact.