We have so many stable coins these days and everyone of us who have some experience trading in the digital asset space know about USDT or Tether stable coin, that’s a controversial stable coin pegged to dollar reserves. However, there are other stable coins like *PAX, Dai *etc, most of these stable coins have to be pegged or linked to something through which it gets its value. Binance has introduced a new stable coin that’s pegged to a year’s supply of sanitary napkins, this is for its charity work done through its philanthropic non-profit arm Binance Charity Foundation.
This stable coin called PCAT – Pink Care Token, it is very unique indeed as* its pegged to sanitary napkins*. Let’s get in depth on its purpose now. We can all guess that Binance Charity Foundation aims to sort out social issues harnessing the power of blockchain technology, and PCAT token is introduced to be a blockchain solution to alleviate period poverty.
PCAT would empower millions of poor Ugandan women to procure sanitary napkins, this stable coin can be redeemed into Uganda’s local currency as well, using the services of Binance Uganda Exchange. The concept behind this is to develop a cost effective and efficient process for enabling Ugandan women to have access to period products in a transparent fashion that is free from corruption.
This is the period poverty campaign. Binance Charity Foundation has formed strategic alliance partners who are the founding members of this initiative for creating PCAT tokens for eradicating period poverty. These partners form the Pink Care Token Alliance, they comprise of 46 companies, including many prominent blockchain service companies like Tron, VeChain, Ripple, Pundit X, Strom, Harmony etc. Pink Care Token Alliance members have partnered to support Binance Charity Foundation to sponsor the PCAT tokens.
This Pink Care Token initiative is an extension of other charity activities that Binance Charity Foundation is undertaking in Uganda. Earlier, this non-profit launched “Binance for Children” initiative that provides lunches to school children under the Lunch for Children programme. Other than this Binance Charity Foundation also provides for scholastic materials, and has launched the solar charity initiative to provide electricity in Uganda.
You can read about Binance's Pink Care token here -:
https://www.binance.com/en/blog/353125312788316160/Binance-Charity-Forms-Alliance-with-46-Companies-to-Unveil-a-Stablecoin-for-the-Alleviation-of-Period-Poverty
All this is amazing work, the Pink Care token is really a novel solution, however as a still menstruating women, I have certain valid inputs to provide and I really wish I can take this message to CEO of Binance, CZ and the head of Binance Charity Foundation Helen Hai.
It is true that many women can’t afford to buy period products and this topic is a taboo topic to talk about, I personally myself live in a semi-conservative society in India, but there are more cost effective and environmentally sustainable solutions to address this period product accessibility problem. The problem with Sanitary pads is that it's a disposable product made of plastic comprising of chemicals that are harmful for the skin and the environment.
Sanitary napkins would take ages to decompose, as a result they would lie in the landfills adding to garbage. This waste that’s reject/toxic waste also go to water bodies polluting water, soil etc. Disposal of sanitary napkins is a challenging task. The solution to this is using period products that are environment friendly, thus embracing the trend of sustainable menstruation.
Yup, I myself have been sustainably menstruating for 3 years using environmentally friendly period products. There are cloth pads, amazing product that can be reused. They are made of cotton and designed in pad shape and absorb period flow beautifully. They are super comfortable, foldable, washable and hygenic. These pads are cost effective as you buy them according to your requirements analysing your flow and that’s it, you can reuse them after washing and having them dried. Drying washed pads in sunlight will kill the germs. You can travel too for a short period of wearing cloth pads, when they fill up fold it up put it in a zip lock bag and wash them when coming home.
Washing pads is ok, not such a tedious process, soak for 30 minutes then squeeze the period stuff and wash the pads in water using mild soap when you do the soaking. You can even put it in the washing machine after squeezing the pads clear.
The advantage here is, and I speak from experience, there are no rashes(: … plastic pads cause irritation, burns and rashes, it’s horrible. You also don’t contribute to sanitary pad waste, which is reject waste and you have saved the environment from getting more burdened with added plastic nuisance!!
Cloth pads is just one period cloth product there are period panties, that are super absorbent ,sustainable, leak proof underwear that absorb the period flow. You can actually wear the period underwear with the pads, you just know there won’t be leaks when the pads are filled out and need to be changed as the period underwear offers leak proof additional protection.
However, this is not the only sustainable solution, there are menstrual cups. These cups collect the period liquid. There are lots of advantages to using Mcups, one being it almost feels like you have no periods, ladies who have used tampons would relate to this(: … Your period flow is free, there will be less period cramps and no wet feeling in the sides as the flow is caught in the cup without percolating down as it does when you wear pads.
Ladies who use the cups feel empowered enough to do marathons, travel, swim because there is not this requirement to change often like it is when we wear pads. We have to change pads every 3 to 5 hours and it can be inconvenient, wear a menstrual cup and you can clear the cup after 8 to 12 hours, wash it clean in water and put it on.
It takes a lot of time to get used to a Mcup, putting it and removing it, but when it clicks, it’s amazing!!! … its freedom from leaks, from cramps, from inconvenience of changing often and for ladies to live their lives with energy even during their periods without polluting the environment with sanitary pad or tampon waste!!!
In India only, Goonj NGO, solved this menstruation or period product accessibility problem in villages at a time when the concept of sustainable menstruation was new in 2005. Their solution was making cloth pads using donated cotton clothes and distributing it to women there . This initiative of Goonj was called MyPad initiative. Goonj also had women form groups to discuss about this embarrassing topic of periods and menstruation, so the ice was broken. Now, these women use cloth pads, wash it in water and hang it without shame outside to dry in the sun(: …
What is more, many women are employed in the making of these cloth pads and its giving them livelihoods.
I have written about this in my blog -
https://mintymile.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/goonjs-mypad-initiative-for-rural-women/ and you can read about real life stories with women being happy and comfortable using cloth pads manufactured under Goonj’s #MyPad initiative here - .
https://goonj.org/smiling-rajasthani-women-and-some-menstrual-stories/
Therefore, though I absolutely love Binance Charity Foundation Pink Care Token initiative, I seriously suggest them to peg this token not only to sanitary pads but to cloth pads, period panties and menstrual cups along with sanitary pads. I understand, everyone has their preferences, so telling Binance Charity Foundation and the Pink Care token alliance members to add eco friendly period products along with sanitary pads as period products women can use.
Also, Binance Charity Foundation please sponsor sanitary pad incinerators so that those pads that been given to women are disposed off responsibly after burning and getting them converted to ash to be put on the landfills. I urge this for the sake of environment.
Yup, this is an uncomfortable topic to write on but I am proud to be a women who does not contribute to plastic sanitary waste. I use cloth pads, period panties and cup, my only regret is that I have for 20 years of my life polluted environment contributing to sanitary waste by using disposable pads. However now until my menopause(would be so happy that time) I would never contribute to sanitary waste using disposable pads. I would get used to cups so much someday soon so I can travel too hassel freely using cup during my periods. And I urge every women and young girl to start off and prolong their period journey using environmentally friendly period products, there are enough options.
I hope women embrace sustainable menstruation philosophy like I have.
Thankyou.