BOLLYWOOD hit Pad Man will be screened at the Reel Cinema in Chippenham on International Women’s Day to raise money to combat period poverty in India.

The charity Women and Girls was founded in 2017 by Kathryn Crosweller. She said around 23 per cent of girls in India drop out of school when they start having periods because they do not have access to suitable sanitary protection. The charity aims to provide this, as well as education around menstruation and sexual health.

Kathryn, who has lived in Chippenham for five years, set up Women and Girls after learning about the products through the work of another charity Sanitation First, set up by her father David Crosweller. She travelled to India in September to visit the factory, meet girls at schools and contact people who could distribute the sanitary products.

She said: “Pad Man is an incredible film because it throws a spotlight on a topic that hasn’t been spoken about in private, never mind in public, for far too long. It shows the reality of period poverty for women in India and by showing the film in Chippenham for International Women’s Day we hope to raise awareness of the challenges faced during the most natural process a woman can go through.”

The charity offers women and girls in India sanitary protection that is culturally and geographically sensitive, kind to the environment and the key to helping them be healthier, happier and free to fulfil their potential. It supplies two types of sanitary protection: Saakfins and Safepads. Both are produced in India, supporting the local economy, and both are made of material that is inherently anti-bacterial, so they can be washed in dirty water but remain clean and hygienic to use.

Kathryn said: “Women and Girls does not distribute disposable sanitary protection, but reusable, hygienic options that suit the needs of the women and girls we work with. "

The event at 7pm on March 8 will begin with a talk on the work Women and Girls is doing, then the film will follow. The screening is supported by the Reel Cinema.

At least £10 from each ticket will provide sanitary protection to women and girls in India, meaning each ticket holder will be helping two people for at least a year of their life.

Tickets, including wine and canapes, are £15. To book, visit reelcinemas.co.uk. For information about Women and Girls visit womenandgirls.org.uk.