Our Impact
Advocacy
Research, partnerships, community stories, and updates from Days for Girls teams around the world.
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Announcing the Ghana Menstrual Health Snapshot
In June 2022, Days for Girls International (DfG) partnered with WASH United and Irise Institute of East Africa to launch the Menstrual Health Country Snapshot project, a collection of research-based reports on the conditions, rights, and policies surrounding menstrual health (MH) in different countries. Alongside WASH United, DfG published a successful first and second wave…
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Advocacy, Menstrual Health, News & Updates, Partnerships, Special Events, Sustainable Development, Women & GirlsEnsuring Menstrual Product Availability: Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition General Membership Meeting 2023
On October 20, Days for Girls (DfG) and its partners presented Practical Approaches to Menstrual Product Resilience in Supply Constrained Settings at the 2023 General Membership Meeting of the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition (RHSC) in Accra, Ghana. In partnership with The Pad Project, PSI Europe, and Total Family Health Organization, this presentation spotlighted the importance…
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International Day of the Girl: More Than a Pad
International Day of the Girl is a United Nations holiday that raises awareness about issues affecting girls around the world. This year’s theme is “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-Being.” As Days for Girls commemorates the 11th anniversary of this significant day, we celebrate our investment in the equal rights of millions of…
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Advocacy, Global Impact, Menstrual Health, News & Updates, Partnerships, Special Events, Women & GirlsBreaking the Silence: The Period Positive Workplace Initiative
On September 20, 2023, Days for Girls’ Global Advocacy Director, Diana Nelson, spoke at the Period Positive Workplace launch event hosted in Utah, in the United States, by the World Trade Center and in collaboration with The Policy Project. This event shed light on menstrual inequality in the workplace and discussed how the Period Positive…
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Advocacy, Global Impact, Menstrual Health, News & Updates, Special Events, Sustainable Development, Women & GirlsWomen Deliver Conference 2023: Advancing Gender Equality and Menstrual Justice
The 2023 Women Deliver Conference, with its theme “Spaces, Solidarity and Solutions,” was a pivotal event for leaders and organizations worldwide. Taking place from July 17-20 in Kigali, Rwanda, this conference provided a platform for discussing critical issues related to gender equality, reproductive health and menstrual justice. Days for Girls (DfG) representatives – including DfG…
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The Pros and Cons of Menstrual Leave Policies in the Workplace: What Organizations Should Know
Menstrual leave is a policy that allows a person to take paid or unpaid leave from their employment if they are menstruating and are unable to go to work. Menstrual leave is distinct from “sick leave,” which is often mandated by federal law. In February, Spain passed a bill allowing individuals with painful periods to…
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Period Positive Workplace There is no overstating the importance of women and those who menstruate in the workforce. Today, women represent nearly half of the global labor market, the largest percentage than ever before. And, on any given day, more than 800 million people worldwide are menstruating. Menstruation is a common and shared experience amongst…
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South Africa Menstrual Health Snapshot
In June 2022, Days for Girls International (DfG) announced the first installment of a brand new project, the Menstrual Health (MH) Country Snapshot report. The intention behind the creation of this new project was to provide MH advocates and organizations with high-level research on the MH conditions in individual countries in a digestible format. The…
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Advocacy, Global Impact, Menstrual Health, News & Updates, Partnerships, Special Events, Women & GirlsPeriod Positive Workplace Webinar
Amplifying menstrual health (MH) in the private sector and involving companies in the fight for menstrual equity in the workplace has long been a goal of Days for Girls International and our partner organizations. On Wednesday, May 3, Days for Girls International, PSI-Europe, and Period Positive Workplace partners gathered for a special webinar event –…
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Days for Girls Named a 2023 Classy Awards Finalist
Today, we are excited to announce that Days for Girls is a top 50 finalist for the 2023 Classy Awards. Classy, an affiliate of GoFundMe, is a Public Benefit Corporation and giving platform that enables nonprofits to connect supporters with the causes they care about. Since 2011, Classy has helped nonprofits mobilize and inspire the…
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Advocacy, Global Impact, Menstrual Health, News & Updates, Partnerships, Sustainable Development, Women & GirlsAnnouncing the Second Wave of Menstrual Health Country Snapshots!
Earlier this year, Days for Girls International (DfG) – alongside WASH United and Irise Institute East Africa (IIEA) – announced the first installment of our newest project, The Menstrual Health (MH) Country Snapshot reports. These reports aim to provide an in-depth look at MH conditions, resources, policies and legislative opportunities at the country level. From…
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Advocacy, Enterprises, Menstrual Health, News & Updates, Partnerships, Sustainable Development, Women & GirlsStarbucks Foundation Funding Facilitates Lasting MH Impact
In 2008, Mt.Elgon, a Kenyan district near the border of Uganda, experienced a devastating and prolonged civil political conflict that resulted in approximately 200,000 people – nearly the entire population of Mt. Elgon – being displaced from their homes. Hundreds of people, particularly men, were killed in this clash, leaving many women widowed and traumatized.…
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Advancing Menstrual Health, Education and Economic Progress: A Comparative Study
A conservative estimate suggests that at least 500 million people globally lack adequate education, supplies, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, and socio-legal support to safely manage menstruation, yet each day about 800 million people menstruate (UNICEF & World Bank). More difficult to estimate is how many people lack timely, age appropriate, and accurate information…
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International Day of the Girl 2022: Get Involved!
International Day of the Girl is October 11, 2022, and we hope you’ll join us for the First Annual Power of the Pad: a virtual event you won’t forget with inspirational speaker, Marli Williams. This is a great opportunity to gather with other passionate people from around the world and celebrate International Day of the…
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The Boda Project in Rural Kenya
Inadequate menstrual health (MH) excludes a large number of women and girls in Kenya from equitable health, education and economic outcomes – let alone positions of influence and leadership. Sixty-five percent of women and girls cannot afford any brand of disposable sanitary pad on a monthly basis. As a result, many are coerced to engage…
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DfG Menstrual Health Teacher Training and Education in Cambodia
In 2019, Days for Girls began a strategic partnership with the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) with the goal of developing and implementing age-appropriate and culturally-sensitive puberty and menstrual health (MH) education lessons for fifth-grade students throughout the country. This project is unique in that this is the first time DfG has…
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Working Together We Accomplish More
Before COVID-19, menstrual health programs in Kenya were largely siloed, with many organizations working individually or in small cohorts. Now, coming out of COVID, we are more adept at cultivating partnerships and working together to bring menstrual health solutions to communities. This year’s Menstrual Health (MH) Day celebration in Kwale County, Kenya spotlighted the power…
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NEW RESOURCE! Menstrual Health Country Snapshots
It’s no secret that sometimes advocacy work can feel painstakingly slow, like we may never achieve the changes we desire. At other times, though, it can move lightning fast. At DfG, we advocate for improved menstrual health (MH) policies and programs – and we’ve learned that success is all about readiness. We must be ready…
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Locally Owned and Led Menstrual Health Enterprises
Uniquely Positioned to Drive Deep and Lasting Change Sumitra (name changed), 28 years old and married at 17, lives in a rural community in Rajasthan, India with her three children, husband and his parents. The family used to earn $80 per month with almost all the adult members engaged in manual labor in stone quarries…
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Days for Girls’ Menstrual Hygiene Day 2022 Commitment
This year’s Menstrual Hygiene (MH) Day theme is #WeAreCommitted. After several years of raising awareness and declaring that it is #TimeForAction, the menstrual health field is stepping forward and calling for commitments and accountability. Our goal is to prompt stakeholders across many sectors to define a commitment for menstrual health that they will achieve in…