In the development sector, where impact often moves quietly and recognition is rare, the Junoon Awards shine a light on those who pursue change with grit, empathy, and imagination. Inspired by the Hindi word for “passion,” these awards honour organisations and individuals that have chosen to do the difficult work—especially when no one is watching.
The inaugural Junoon Awards in 2023 celebrated stories of perseverance and innovation during the pandemic, a time when systems collapsed, but many found new ways to listen, act, and rebuild. The awards recognised those who didn’t wait for things to return to normal, but instead shaped new pathways to care, connection, and dignity.
Uninhibited is one such story, rooted in the belief that no one should feel shame about their body and that menstruation should never be a barrier to care, conversation, or participation. A women-led, women-centred nonprofit, Uninhibited has spent the last decade breaking menstrual stigma, building body literacy, and strengthening adolescent-responsive public systems across India.
The COVID-19 pandemic became a defining moment, pushing the organisation to think differently about scale, access, and sustainability, leading to innovations that continue to shape its work today. Since 2014, Uninhibited has reached over 900,000 individuals, including adolescent girls and boys, women, men, and key influencers, with more than 400,000 of those engagements coming through its free telemedicine helpline, Hello Saathi.
When in-person sessions and support from Community Resource Persons (CRPs) were no longer possible during lockdowns, Uninhibited launched Hello Saathi, India’s first free telemedicine helpline dedicated to menstrual and sexual reproductive health, an initiative designed to create safe spaces, enable conversation, and enable access to care. Built within 60 days, the helpline created safe, confidential spaces for adolescent girls to speak to female doctors, receive 1-on-1 counselling, and access accurate, stigma-free information in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and Kannada. CRPs were retrained as helpline agents, ensuring continuity of care while expanding remote outreach.
What began as a responsive shift has since become central to Uninhibited’s long-term strategy. Today, Hello Saathi (branded as Hello Maitri in Karnataka) is being introduced in public schools as a trusted point of contact for menstrual and reproductive health support. It complements the organisation’s flagship school-based programme, Periodshala, which equips adolescents with tools to track their cycles, recognise irregularities, and seek timely healthcare.
This integrated approach signals a strategic pivot, from standalone awareness-building to embedding menstrual health within public systems. Through the Period Fellowship, a two-year immersive leadership programme, trained fellows are placed within district health departments to support system-level integration and improve healthcare delivery for adolescents. Alongside CRPs, they serve as a bridge between community realities and government infrastructure, ensuring solutions are responsive and sustainable.
Uninhibited’s current model is defined by its systemic depth, community-rooted design, and alignment with public health priorities. The work is data-driven, shaped by insights from school WASH audits, helpline usage, and field learnings, which helps tailor programming in real time. Partnerships with district and state governments further embed menstrual health into public policy, supply chains, and frontline services.
Post-pandemic, Uninhibited has intentionally blended high-touch, in-person engagement with tech-enabled services, ensuring that the behaviour change seeded in classrooms is reinforced through continuous support. Its long-term vision rests on three pillars: community ownership, a thriving ecosystem of menstrual health leadership, and organisational adaptability. Fellows and CRPs remain embedded in their communities or within public systems, while Uninhibited also anchors a collective of over 900 menstrual health organisations, fostering cross-learning and amplifying voices from the Global South.
By positioning the menstrual cycle as a vital health indicator, Uninhibited is working to ensure that menstrual health is no longer seen as an isolated peripheral issue, but as a central, measurable component of adolescent well-being within the very systems that shape their futures.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Uninhibited’s journey exemplifies the power of empathy, innovation, and community ownership in tackling deeply rooted social issues. By positioning menstrual health as a central component of adolescent well-being, the organisation is not only breaking taboos but also paving the way for systemic, sustainable change.
At The Logical Indian, we believe that such stories of quiet perseverance deserve to be celebrated and amplified, inspiring others to challenge stigma and build inclusive futures. How do you think we can encourage more open conversations around menstrual and reproductive health in our communities?
