Every month, millions of girls and women around the world miss school and work during their periods because they don't have access to menstrual products. In 2008, Celeste Mergens was working with an overcrowded orphanage on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, when she learned that menstruating girls sat on cardboard in their rooms for several days each month. This set into motion a simple idea -- combining a washable, long-lasting pad with taboo-breaking education -- that became a catalyst for an unlikely global movement for equity. By creating opportunities and inclusive invitations for others to join, that movement grew to become the award-winning nonprofit Days for Girls. The challenges Mergens faced and the lessons she learned, personally and professionally, and the triumphs and resourcefulness of leaders all over the globe are illuminating to all who wish to make a difference and create a more equitable world. Today, Days for Girls reaches more than 2.6 million women and girls in 145 countries. The organizations impact continues to grow, proving that small changes can create big shifts. This journey to overcome one of the worlds most prevalent taboos is proof that no divide is impossible to bridge.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.