Days for Girls International

At Days for Girls we are on a mission to advance menstrual equity, health, dignity and opportunity for all people with periods. But we need help from organizations like SOLV to increase our funding and expand our impact.

Gender equality is foundational to solving some of the world’s greatest challenges, including climate change, poverty and violence. Our work gets to the root of gender inequality by shattering the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation - and empowering women and girls around the world. 

We are shifting the paradigm around menstrual inequity with sustainable solutions that work: washable, reusable pads, menstrual health education, social entrepreneurship and government/multilateral partnerships that advance menstrual health programming and capacity-building across sectors. To date, Days for Girls has reached more than 2.1 million women and girls in 144 countries on 6 continents with menstrual products and education. 

At Days for Girls, we recognize that local leaders are best positioned to drive long-lasting change in their communities. That’s why our Social Entrepreneurship program equips local leaders with the knowledge, tools and resources they need to serve menstruators in their countries while also earning an income. It’s a win-win system that uplifts and transforms communities from the inside out.

In 2008, I was assisting with an orphanage in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya.

When I asked how the girls at the orphanage were managing their menstruation, I was shocked to learn that many would sit on cardboard in their rooms for several days each month – often going without food and other necessities. 

This was the moment that Days for Girls was born. 

As a survivor of my own childhood trauma and hardship, I believe that every girl is capable of extraordinary things - if only she is given the chance. When I saw the neglect and shame millions of girls experience during their periods, I could not ignore it. I invited the world to step forward to help shatter the silence, and rewrite the narrative as one of dignity, resilience and empowerment. 

Today, I am proud to stand witness to the power of the global Days for Girls movement - and so grateful to have a leading voice in changing millions of lives for the better. 

What if you had to miss school or work because you did not have adequate menstrual supplies? How many days per year would you lose in education and wages, simply because you got your period? What if no one ever taught you about menstruation, or worse: if menstrual taboos and myths made you feel ashamed of your body and isolated you from your community? This is the situation for more than 500 million women, girls and menstruators worldwide. It’s called period poverty.

When women and girls cannot tend to school, work or familial responsibilities because of period poverty, this greatly impacts their families, communities and nations.

At Days for Girls, we believe in a world where periods are never a problem. Our global team is working to shatter the stigma and limitations associated with menstruation for improved health, education and livelihood outcomes for all people with periods. We do this by increasing access to menstrual care and education, developing global partnerships, cultivating social enterprises, mobilizing volunteers and innovating sustainable solutions that uplift women and girls around the world.

As one of the first NGOs to advance menstrual equity, we are at the forefront of the movement in thought leadership and program development.

Our solutions are innovative and comprehensive:

1. DfG Pads are washable, reusable, beautiful period products that are built to last. Our unique, patented design has gone through 30 iterations backed by the latest menstrual health research, as well as a decade of feedback from women around the world. 

2. Our washable pads are always paired with comprehensive menstrual health education; we offer two signature curriculums that are sought after by institutions and governments on a global scale. 

3. The DfG Social Entrepreneurship program supports local ownership, ensuring that communities are invested in meeting their own needs. DfG Entrepreneurs generate income and jobs to sustain their communities, while providing accessible menstrual health solutions for local women and girls. The DfG Social Entrepreneurship training is in great demand around the world. We also have tens of thousands of volunteers who fundraise, sew and donate DfG Kits, elevating the efforts of locally-run Enterprises.4

4. We pursue advocacy work that shifts social norms and creates more supportive policy environments for menstruators worldwide. From campaigning and capacity-building to cultivating strategic partnerships, our efforts are critical to shifting the menstrual health space in a way that stands the test of time.

Without menstrual products, supportive infrastructure (such as toilets and clean water) and accurate health education, women and girls face significant restrictions in their daily life -- including restrictions on their ability to attend school and go to work. Proper menstrual health management is a critical component of promoting gender equity and ensuring women and girls reach their full potential.

DfG’s beneficiary is any girl, woman, or person with a period who does not have reliable access to menstrual products or education, or who wants a more sustainable, eco-friendly, and economical option. We recognize that not all women and girls menstruate, and not all people who menstruate identify as women. 

Specifically, DfG has reached over 2.1 million women and girls in 144 countries on 6 continents. This includes Nepal, where the cultural tradition of Chhaupadi is still practiced (a tradition where menstruating females are isolated in cow sheds, makeshift huts or open fields); in countries like Uganda, Malawi, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Guatemala, where we teach women to sew and sell DfG Kits; in U.S. homeless shelters and prisons, where we help women manage their periods when disposables are not available or affordable; and in refugee camps around the world.