Days for Girls

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Days for Girls (DfG) is a nonprofit organization that prepares and distributes sustainable menstrual health solutions to girls who would otherwise miss school during their monthly periods. DfG was founded in 2008 by American Celeste Mergens. [1] After visiting an orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya, she discovered that menstruating girls stayed in their dormitories for days, sitting on cardboard to absorb their flow, because they could not afford feminine hygiene products. Her first response was to organize donations of disposable sanitary pads, but she realized that this was not a sustainable solution — and the girls had no way to dispose of used pads. [2] She then developed the idea of creating washable, reusable pads and providing the girls with a personal kit of all they would need to continue their schooling with hygiene and dignity. [3] By 2018, the DfG Kits (designed to last up to three years) and health education programs had reached more than one million girls and women in over 100 countries. [4] [5]

Contents

DfG Kits are made by volunteers who work as "teams", some of which go on to acquire the status of "chapters". [6] Student volunteers operate as "clubs". [6] These groups have formed in many countries, including Australia, [7] Canada, [8] New Zealand, [9] the United Kingdom, [10] [11] and the United States. [12] Each kit is in a draw-string bag and includes reusable cloth menstrual pads made up of colorful shields and liners, panties, a washcloth and soap, a carry pouch for washing & storing, and other items. [13] The kit enables girls to carry their clean and used pads discreetly and to take care of their own hygiene needs. [14] During the distributions, communities also receive health education to break stigmas and cultural taboos associated with menstruation. [15]

In 2012, Days for Girls International launched an Enterprise Program to help local women establish social enterprises to make and distribute kits in their own countries. [16] Close to 70 Days for Girls Enterprises now exist in more than a dozen countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. [17] In select regions and in order to improve sustainability, DfG kits also come with menstrual cups, which have a longer use life than washable cloth pads. [18]

Days for Girls International is headquartered in Mount Vernon, Washington, United States, and has offices in Ghana, Guatemala, Nepal, and Uganda. [19] [20] The organization's impact and transparency have earned high ratings from GuideStar. [21] Celeste Mergens, the organization's founder and CEO, was awarded a Purpose Prize by AARP in 2017. [22]

In 2019, Days for Girls was awarded $250,000 by Goldman Sachs, as the cause supported by the first-place winner in the Goldman Sachs Gives Analyst Impact Fund competition, where analysts from the firm compete to gain support for their chosen nonprofit. [23]

In 2020, Public Interest Registry named Days for Girls International its .ORG of the Year, awarding the organization $45,000 to continue improving female health and education across the globe ($30,000 for .ORG of the Year and $15,000 for the Combatting Coronavirus Award). [24]

Mergens announced her retirement from the organization in January 2022, [25] and published a book, The Power of Days: A Story of Resilience, Dignity, and the Fight for Women's Equity in 2023. [26] [27] [28] Tiffany Larson was named the new CEO in April 2022. [29]

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Menstruation is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus through the vagina. The menstrual cycle is characterized by the rise and fall of hormones. Menstruation is triggered by falling progesterone levels and is a sign that pregnancy has not occurred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampon</span> Feminine hygiene product to absorb menstrual flow by insertion into the vagina

A tampon is a menstrual product designed to absorb blood and vaginal secretions by insertion into the vagina during menstruation. Unlike a pad, it is placed internally, inside of the vaginal canal. Once inserted correctly, a tampon is held in place by the vagina and expands as it soaks up menstrual blood. However, in addition to menstrual blood, the tampon also absorbs the vagina's natural lubrication and bacteria, which can change the normal pH, increasing the risk of infections from the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, which can lead to toxic shock syndrome (TSS). TSS is a rare but life-threatening infection that requires immediate medical attention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menstrual cup</span> Feminine hygiene device worn inside the vagina during menstruation

A menstrual cup is a menstrual hygiene device which is inserted into the vagina during menstruation. Its purpose is to collect menstrual fluid. Menstrual cups are usually made of flexible medical grade silicone, latex, or a thermoplastic isomer. They are shaped like a bell with a stem or a ring. The stem is used for insertion and removal, and the bell-shaped cup seals against the vaginal wall just below the cervix and collects menstrual fluid. This is unlike tampons and menstrual pads, which absorb the fluid instead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menstrual pad</span> Absorbent item worn in the underwear

A menstrual pad, or simply a pad, is an absorbent item worn by women in their underwear when menstruating, bleeding after giving birth, recovering from gynecologic surgery, experiencing a miscarriage or abortion, or in any other situation where it is necessary to absorb a flow of blood from the vagina. A menstrual pad is a type of menstrual hygiene product that is worn externally, unlike tampons and menstrual cups, which are worn inside the vagina. Pads are generally changed by being stripped off the pants and panties, taking out the old pad, sticking the new one on the inside of the panties and pulling them back on. Pads are recommended to be changed every 3–4 hours to avoid certain bacteria that can fester in blood; this time also may differ depending on the kind worn, flow, and the time it is worn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feminine hygiene</span> Personal care products for menstruation, vaginal discharge etc.

Feminine hygiene products are personal care products used during menstruation, vaginal discharge, and other bodily functions related to the vulva and vagina. Products that are used during menstruation may also be called menstrual hygiene products, including menstrual pads, tampons, pantyliners, menstrual cups, menstrual sponges and period panties. Feminine hygiene products also include products meant to cleanse the vulva or vagina, such as douches, feminine wipes, and soap.

Always is an American brand of menstrual hygiene products, including maxi pads, ultra thin pads, pantyliners, disposable underwear for night-time wear, and vaginal wipes. A sister concern of Procter & Gamble, it was first invented and introduced in the United States in 1983 by Tom Osborn, a mid-level employee at Procter & Gamble, then nationally in May 1984. By the end of 1984, Always had also been introduced internationally in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Arab world, Pakistan and Africa. Despite the Always' pads runaway international success, Procter & Gamble almost fired Tom Osborn twice in the early 1980s as he was developing this product.

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Cloth menstrual pads are cloth pads worn in the underwear to collect menstrual fluid. They are a type of reusable menstrual hygiene product, and are an alternative to sanitary napkins or to menstrual cups. Because they can be reused, they are generally less expensive than disposable pads over time, and reduce the amount of waste produced.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arunachalam Muruganantham</span> Indian social entrepreneur

Arunachalam Muruganantham (Padman) is a social entrepreneur from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, India. He is the inventor of a low-cost sanitary pad-making machine and is credited for innovating grassroots mechanisms for generating awareness about traditional unhygienic practices around menstruation in rural India. His mini-machines, which can manufacture sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads, have been installed in 23 of the 29 states of India in rural areas. He is currently planning to expand the production of these machines to 106 nations. The movie Period. End of Sentence. won the Academy Award for Best Documentary for the year 2018. The 2018 Hindi film Pad Man was made on his invention, where he was portrayed by Akshay Kumar.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management (MHM) at a global level. It was initiated by the German-based NGO WASH United in 2013 and observed for the first time in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tampon tax</span> Value-added tax or sales tax charged on feminine hygiene products

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manushi Chhillar</span> Indian actress and model (b. 1997)

Manushi Chhillar is an Indian actress, model and the winner of Miss World 2017 pageant. She represented her state of Haryana at the Femina Miss India 2017 pageant and won the title of Femina Miss India World 2017 and then went on to become the sixth representative from India to be crowned Miss World after 17 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anurag Chauhan</span> Indian social worker

Anurag Chauhan is an Indian social worker and founder of Humans For Humanity, a non-governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in Dehradun, India He is widely known for social work, particularly with regards to menstrual hygiene. The WASH project started by him has reached over 3.5 million women in over 6 states in last 5 years.

<i>Period. End of Sentence.</i> 2018 film by Rayka Zehtabchi

Period. End of Sentence. is a 2018 documentary short film directed by Rayka Zehtabchi about Indian women leading a quiet sexual revolution. The film stars Arunachalam Muruganantham, Shabana Khan, Gouri Choudari, Ajeya, and Anita. The documentary short follows a group of local women in Hapur, India, as they learn how to operate a machine that makes low-cost, biodegradable sanitary pads, which they sell to other women at affordable prices. This not only helps to improve feminine hygiene by providing access to basic products but also supports and empowers the women to shed the taboos in India surrounding menstruation – all while contributing to the economic future of their community. The film is inspired by the life of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Coimbatore, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Menstrual hygiene management</span> Access to menstrual hygiene products and disposal of used products

Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) or menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) refers to access to menstrual hygiene products to absorb or collect the flow of blood during menstruation, privacy to change the materials, and access to facilities to dispose of used menstrual management materials. It can also include the "broader systemic factors that link menstruation with health, well-being, gender equality, education, equity, empowerment, and rights". Menstrual hygiene management can be particularly challenging for girls and women in developing countries, where clean water and toilet facilities are often inadequate. Menstrual waste is largely ignored in schools in developing countries, despite it being a significant problem. Menstruation can be a barrier to education for many girls, as a lack of effective sanitary products restricts girls' involvement in educational and social activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humans For Humanity</span> Non-governmental organization

Humans For Humanity (HFH) is a non-governmental organization, founded by renowned social worker Anurag Chauhan, headquartered in Dehradun, India. It is working to bring awareness about menstrual health, hygiene among women across India. It is providing health, hygiene and comfort to women, especially in poverty-stricken and rural areas in India. The organization empowers women by educating women and young girls on menstruation and menstrual hygiene, and by conducting workshops to produce low-cost sanitary pads. The WASH project started by Humans For Humanity has reached over 3 million women in over 6 states in India in the last 6 years, as of October 2020.

Eco Femme is a women-led social enterprise in Tamil Nadu, India, that produces organic washable cloth pads. Eco Femme was founded in 2009 in Auroville by Kathy Walkling and Jessamijn Miedema who started by producing, applying and selling these washable menstrual pads in Auroville. The aim was to produce pads that are both affordable and free of plastic. They were also interested in designing a sustainable alternative to disposable pads for the women of India as well as setting up self sustaining initiatives in cloth pad production for women from the neighbouring villages. All commercially sold pads are organically certified under GOTS and Eco Femme is the first in this space to have achieved this certification. The cloth pads are mostly made out of organic cotton and can last up to 75 washes or for three to five years from the time of purchasing. These pads are sold in more than 20 countries across the world. By 2022, Eco Femme has distributed over 1 million cloth pads which consequently saved more than 75 million single use disposable pads from reaching landfills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Period poverty</span> Economic justice issue related to female periods

Period poverty is a term used to describe a lack of access to proper menstrual products and the education needed to use them effectively. The American Medical Women's Association defines it as "the inadequate access to menstrual hygiene tools and educations, including but not limited to sanitary products, washing facilities, and waste management".

References

  1. ↑ Thorpe, Devin (2018-01-09). "By women, for women: The new economics of menstrual pads in Africa". ImpactAlpha. Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  2. ↑ Hoffman, Ashley. "Days for Girls: Improving Girls' Access to Education, One DfG Kit at a Time". Ecwid. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
  3. ↑ Mccray, Linzee Kull (January 7, 2014). "Period Drama: Helping Girls Around the World Navigate "That Time of the Month"". Oprah.com. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "One Million... And Counting!". Days for Girls International | Turning Periods Into Pathways. January 5, 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  5. ↑ Davis, Tom. "Bromsgrove School students bake their way to £180 for charity". Bromsgrove Advertiser. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  6. 1 2 "How DfG Volunteers Work". Days for Girls International. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  7. ↑ "Taree Days for Girls raises funds for hygiene kits". Manning River Times. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  8. ↑ Kim, Min Jy (February 7, 2018). "Days for Girls charity brings hygiene kits to underprivileged women". The Gazette • Western University's Student Newspaper. Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  9. ↑ Forrester, Georgia (May 15, 2016). "Charities seeing increasing numbers of women unable to pay for sanitary items". Stuff. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "DAYS FOR GIRLS UK - Charity 1189219". register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
  11. ↑ Thompson, Vicky (8 February 2018). "Students praised for community work in Malawi". The Press (York). Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  12. ↑ "DfG USA". Days for Girls International. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  13. ↑ "The DfG Pad". Days for Girls International. Retrieved 2022-05-24.
  14. ↑ "Sewing DfG kits". Days for Girls. Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  15. ↑ Montemurri, Patricia (13 February 2016). "Michigan-made sanitary pads keep girls around the world in school". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  16. ↑ Mergens, Celeste (February 7, 2018). "Introducing the Enterprise Evaluation Report". Days for Girls International | Turning Periods Into Pathways. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  17. ↑ "Become an enterprise partner". Days for Girls. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  18. ↑ "Days for Girls International | Turning Periods Into Pathways". Days for Girls International | Turning Periods Into Pathways. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  19. ↑ "Enterprise Program". Days for Girls. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  20. ↑ "DAYS FOR GIRLS INTERNATIONAL - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  21. ↑ "DAYS FOR GIRLS INTERNATIONAL - GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  22. ↑ "Celeste Mergens". 2017 Purpose Prize Winners. AARP. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  23. ↑ "The Fourth Annual Goldman Sachs Gives Analyst Impact Fund". Goldman Sachs. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  24. ↑ Registry, Public Interest. "Days for Girls International Named .ORG of the Year". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  25. ↑ "Days for Girls Leadership Transition". Days for Girls International. 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
  26. ↑ "The Power of Days (publisher's website)". BenBella Books. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "The Power of Days: A Journey of Hope and Resilience". Days for Girls International. 25 September 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  28. ↑ "The 2023 Mighty Women Reading List for Adults". A Mighty Girl. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  29. ↑ "Important Announcement: Tiffany Larson Made Permanent CEO". Days for Girls International. 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2022-05-17.

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