Days for Girls International

Did you know? “Nearly two-thirds of low-income women cannot afford menstrual products, which can lead to illness as well as missed school or work." (National Women’s Law Center, 2021) Recently, Days for Girls joined leaders from both nonprofit and private sectors at the ISSA Clean Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. The summit brought together organizations focused on addressing period poverty and expanding access to menstrual products and education. It also included a convening of the National Coalition to End Period Poverty, where Days for Girls continues to engage alongside partners across the sector. Convenings like this play an important role in strengthening collaboration, aligning priorities, and advancing conversations around menstrual health policy and access.

In the Navajo Nation, access to menstrual health products is shaped by distance and infrastructure. For some Chapters, the nearest retail center may be more than an hour away and 1 in 3 households on the reservation don’t have access to running water, making consistent access for menstrual health needs even more difficult. Last week, Days for Girls worked alongside local Navajo Chapters and community partners to: - Distribute 300 DfG Kits - Provide 338 Pixie menstrual cups and 750 disposable products - Train 14 community health professionals on a wide variety of menstrual products Following this distribution and education, Days for Girls will continue working with the To’Nanees’Dizi (Tuba City), Tó Dínéeshzheeʼ (Kayenta), and Ch’ini’li (Chinle) Chapters, alongside local health organizations and partners, including moving forward with our first research study in partnership with Penn State University, with approval from the Navajo Nation Human Research Review Board. The study will explore menstrual health knowledge, attitudes, and product preferences, including engagement with men.

 Days for Girls is proud to partner with Fe y Alegría in Venezuela, a longstanding education movement working to expand access to learning in underserved communities. In 2025, Days for Girls provided 4,008 menstrual health Kits through our USA Collection Points, along with a virtual Training of Educators. Since then, Fe y Alegría has been leading education sessions and distributing Kits across their network. These simple thank-you's shared here reflect the impact of pairing education with access, and the importance of strong local partnerships in sustaining this work.

Last week, Days for Girls International participated in a Commission on the Status of Women side event hosted by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) UNFPA, “Breaking Barriers in Business”, co-hosted by Essity, Shahi Exports Pvt Ltd, and the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations, New York. The conversation brought together leaders from the private sector, policy space, and global health community to explore how investing in menstrual health at work can support both employee well-being and stronger business outcomes. During the session, Eva Fernández Martín, DfG’s Development Director, shared insights from the Period Positive Workplace initiative’s success in engaging businesses in the work to advance menstrual equity globally.  Did you know supporting menstrual health at work can deliver an estimated 2:1 return on investment? Source: https://lnkd.in/gEkSGA34

In Ecuador, menstrual health education is supporting greater body literacy, confidence, and openness around conversations that have often been shaped by stigma or silence, reaching more than 4,000 people in 2025. Feedback from women and girls highlights how learning about menstruation, fertility, and bodily changes helped replace confusion with understanding, while reinforcing the importance of creating respectful spaces for education within communities. Through dignity-centered menstrual health education, Days for Girls works to ensure individuals have access to accurate information and the opportunity to engage in informed, confident decision-making that supports wellbeing and participation in daily life.

Happy International Women’s Day! This past week, we shared stories from leaders across the Days for Girls global network: - A college advocate who turned a moment of crisis into lasting change. - Volunteers and educators bringing menstrual health education to their communities. - Students finding the confidence to speak openly about their periods. Meaningful change often begins with one person choosing to take action. Revisit the inspiring stories we highlighted this week: https://lnkd.in/g_R4RYdh Today, we celebrate the many women helping move this mission forward! #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2026 #MenstrualEquity #GlobalHealth #DaysForGirl

On May 13 & 14, partners from across Africa working in menstrual health, standards, manufacturing, sexual reproductive health, WASH and other sectors will gather in Johannesburg, South Africa for the African Menstrual Product Standard & Market Development Forum. Hosted by UNFPA in East and Southern Africa Regional Office, the African Coalition For Menstrual Health (ACMH), the Swedish Institute for Standards, SIS, and Days for Girls International, this forum will bring together governments, national standards bodies, manufacturers, INGOs, and sector leaders to advance conversations around menstrual product standards and sustainable market development across the continent. This hybrid event will be held in person in Johannesburg with a virtual participation option, and translation will be available. Call for presentations is now open through March 31. Learn more and register for the forum here: https://lnkd.in/gJJ_ntD8

On March 11, Days for Girls will lead a hybrid parallel session at CSW70 focused on strengthening menstrual health education through teacher training. This session, Empowering Educators: Implementing Teacher Training for Comprehensive Menstrual Health Education, will highlight lessons from a five-year program in Cambodia exploring how training-of-trainer approaches can support educators in delivering accurate, comprehensive menstrual health education. NGO Committee on the Status of Women (NGO CSW/NY), It will also explore the important role educators play in shaping open conversations around menstrual health, including why engaging male teachers is essential for creating more supportive and inclusive learning environments. This is a free hybrid event. We hope colleagues working across menstrual health, education, and public health will join us. Register for the event here: https://lnkd.in/e6ydc4wd

Celebrate International Women’s Day with us this week! At Days for Girls, we are proud to recognize the women across our global network who are advancing menstrual health education and expanding access to quality menstrual products. Throughout the coming week, we will spotlight a range of leaders, including a college Chapter President who successfully advocated for campus access to menstrual products, a U.S. Sewing Specialist supporting international distributions, and a student advocate who is helping break menstrual taboos in her community. Their stories demonstrate how leadership at every level strengthens this movement. We invite you to follow along as we celebrate the women driving this work forward. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2026 #MenstrualEquity #GlobalHealth #DaysForGirls

Days for Girls is partnering with Convoy of Hope to reach 3,500 girls with menstrual health education and washable menstrual health Kits. Student feedback reflects the tangible impact of this work: “I am happy I now have this kit. I have been using polythene paper to manage my menses. I can't thank you enough.” “Before this session, I used to feel embarrassed and hide my pad when going to the washroom. Now I understand it’s okay to talk about it.” By pairing education with access to washable solutions, this initiative is helping foster informed menstrual health management, confidence, and open conversation in communities where these resources have not always been guaranteed. Kenya is just part of the story. This impact is part of a broader 4-country partnership with Convoy of Hope supporting more than 10,000 girls across multiple regions.