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Menstrual Health Day

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Periods should never stand in the way

Every year on May 28, we mark Menstrual Health Day, a global reminder that no one should be held back, excluded or shamed because of their period.

At Plan, we know periods arenā€™t just a health issue. They are a barrier to equality. Around the world, girls and young women miss school, face stigma and struggle to access basic supplies simply because of menstruation. Thatā€™s why weā€™re working to change both the story and the systems behind it.

Multigenerational group of women holding feminine products in support of Menstrual Health Day

Beyond a single day

Through our partnership with KotexĀ® and the Kimberly-Clark Foundation, weā€™ve reached more than 11 million people with menstrual health education, resources and support across eight countries. From classroom learning to peer-led community programs that include boys and parents, our work helps ensure girls have the knowledge, tools and confidence to manage their periods with dignity.

While May 28 is an important moment, our commitment goes beyond a single day. We work year-round to support girlsā€™ education, advance gender equality and help create environments where periods never stand in the way of opportunity.

Because when girls can learn, speak up and move through the world without shame, progress follows.

Menstrual Health Day stories

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Across generations ā€“ periods through the ages

May 14, 2025

From El Salvador to Togo, grandmothers, mothers and daughters are speaking openly about periods ā€” many for the first time. These intergenerational conversations are breaking taboos, building understanding and helping girls navigate their menstrual health with dignity.

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International Womenā€™s Day

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Progress worth celebrating

Every year on March 8, we mark International Womenā€™s Day, a moment to celebrate how far weā€™ve come and to be clear about how far we still have to go.

At Plan, International Womenā€™s Day connects us to a legacy more than a century in the making, and to the girls who will shape what comes next. What began as women organizing for labor rights, suffrage and equality has grown into a global movement that challenges the systems that continue to hold women and girls back.

For us, that connection is clear. The barriers adult women face do not begin in adulthood. They take root early, when girls are denied education, pushed into early marriage, excluded from leadership or exposed to violence simply because of their gender.

The Girl in the Red Tie

Equality is not a moment, but a movement

Each year on March 8, we use International Womenā€™s Day to elevate the voices and leadership of girls alongside women. We spotlight the political, cultural, social and economic contributions of women worldwide while naming the inequities that girls continue to experience: from unequal access to education and health care to gender-based violence, exploitation and harmful norms.

We mark the day through an annual awareness campaign that centers girlsā€™ rights, shares stories of leadership and resilience across generations and calls attention to the changes needed to ensure every girl can grow up safe, educated and able to lead.

Progress for women is not possible without justice for girls.

International Womenā€™s Day stories

What the research shows

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International Day of the Girl

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When girls lead, communities rise

Every year on October 11, we mark International Day of the Girl, a moment thatā€™s especially meaningful to us at Plan because we helped bring it to life. In 2011, our global advocacy, led in partnership with girls, helped secure United Nations recognition of this day.

International Day of the Girl grew from a simple and urgent truth. Girls face unique barriers simply for being young and female. Limited access to education, poor menstrual health resources and unsafe environments too often stand in the way of their ability to reach their full potential.

This day is about changing that.

International Day of the Girl stories

Because when girls lead, lasting change follows.

Through our annual campaigns and activations like Girl Takeovers, girls around the world step into positions of influence across government, media, and business. They speak up, lead boldly and show whatā€™s possible when their voices are heard. These takeovers go beyond symbolism. They open doors to real decision-making spaces and challenge those in power to see leadership differently.

While October 11 is a key moment, our work continues year-round. We work alongside girls and communities to advance child protection, strengthen community development, and help build systems where all young people have equal access to opportunity.

International Day of the Girl stories

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Our initiatives

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Moments that move the world forward

We mobilize around key global moments to raise awareness, shift systems, and push for progress on issues that affect girls and women worldwide. These initiatives help focus attention, elevate voices and turn shared momentum into action that lasts beyond a single day.

International Day of the Girl

International Day of the Girl

October 11

A global moment to celebrate girlsā€™ leadership and highlight the barriers that stand in the way of their ability to thrive.

See how we take action
Hero International Womenā€™s Day

International Womenā€™s Day

March 8

A global day to celebrate womenā€™s achievements and accelerate progress on the issues that affect girlsā€™ rights and opportunities.

See how we take action
Menstrual Health Day

Menstrual Health Day

May 28
A global reminder that no one should be held back or shamed because of their period.
See how we take action
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Health, nutrition & WASH

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Every girl deserves to grow up healthy ā€” but for millions, that basic expectation remains out of reach. We work to change that, making sure girls and young women can access the health services, nutrition and basic support they need to survive, develop and thrive at every stage of their lives.

In 2025ā€¦

people screened for malnutrition
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people accessed improved WASH
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children accessed health services
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The challenges

For too many girls, the barriers to good health start early and compound over time. Mothers and babies often lack access to basic care before, during and after birth. Young people ā€” especially girls ā€” struggle to access mental health support, even as the pressures they face continue to grow. Malnutrition affects millions of children, limiting not just their physical health but their ability to learn and develop. And in too many communities, the simple basics of clean water and safe toilets remain unavailable ā€” a problem that has an outsized impact on girls and women, particularly during menstruation and pregnancy.

Our work

We work to make existing health systems better and more accessible for girls and young women. That means supporting mothers to access antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care. We also prioritize mental health and psychosocial support for young people, particularly in crisis settings. Weā€™re working to improve nutrition through education, support for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and sustainable agriculture practices that improve food security.

Increasing access to clean water and safe sanitation is also essential. We work to make sure that schools, health facilities and communities have the WASH ā€” water, sanitation and hygiene ā€” infrastructure girls need ā€” because a girl without clean water at home or a safe toilet at school faces barriers that go far beyond hygiene ā€” it impacts whether she stays in school, stays healthy and feels safe.

Putting girls and young people at the center

Across our health work, we make sure girls and young people have a say in improving the services and systems that affect them, because young people know what they need better than anyone else. And as climate change increasingly threatens health systems and food security, we build resilience into everything we do ā€” so that communities are better prepared for the challenges ahead.

How you can help

Give to Plan

Our global programs are made possible by donors who believe in building a world where we are all equal. Explore ways to join our mission as a donor.

Learn more
Work with us

We work with partners around the world, from local community groups to global organizations. If you share our belief that every girl deserves the chance to fulfill her potential ā€” we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more

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Economic empowerment

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Economic independence changes everything for a girl. When young women can earn a living, manage their finances, and make their own choices, they are safer, healthier, and better able to shape their own futures. Yet across the world young people, especially girls, face barriers to economic participation. They are expected to shoulder the burden of unpaid care and domestic work and face discrimination that locks them out of jobs, finance and opportunity. We work to change that.

In 2025...

village savings groups created
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people accessed economic empowerment programming
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girls improved work-related skills
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The challenges

For millions of young women, the path to economic independence is blocked at every turn. Harmful gender norms mean that girls are often pulled out of education early to care for families, leaving them without the skills or qualifications to access decent work. Many have no access to savings, credit or financial services. Others live in communities where women owning a business or earning their own income is actively discouraged. And as climate change disrupts livelihoods and food systems, it is women and girls who are hit hardest and have the least support to recover.

What we do

We work with young women to build the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to access economic opportunities and make informed decisions about their own lives. That includes financial education and literacy, access to savings and loan groups and linking young women to finance and business support services that are designed with their needs in mind.

We also work to improve household food security ā€” because when families have stable incomes, they can access the safe and nutritious food they need. Recognizing that climate change is increasingly threatening livelihoods, we support women-led climate resilience efforts and create pathways into green jobs and green skills, making sure young women are part of the transition to a more sustainable economy.

Putting girls and young people at the center

None of this works without tackling the deeper norms and systems that hold girls and young people back. Thatā€™s why we work alongside communities, governments and partners to challenge the attitudes and policies that limit young peopleā€™s economic participation ā€” because supporting individual girls only goes so far; the world around them must change too.

How you can help

Give to Plan

Our global programs are made possible by donors who believe in building a world where we are all equal. Explore ways to join our mission as a donor.

Learn more
Work with us

We work with partners around the world, from local community groups to global organizations. If you share our belief that every girl deserves the chance to fulfill her potential ā€” we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more

Read more

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Humanitarian assistance

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When disaster or conflict strikes, the most vulnerable people pay the highest price; and among them, girls and young women face the greatest risks. They are more likely to be pulled out of school, more vulnerable to violence and exploitation and less likely to receive the support they need. We work to change that, responding to crises around the world with girls at the center of everything we do.

In 2025...

people received humanitarian assistance
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children received school meals
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children accessed alternative learning
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The challenges

Humanitarian crises including conflict, displacement or natural disaster donā€™t just cause immediate harm. They disrupt education, destroy livelihoods, overwhelm health systems and strip communities of the safety nets that protect the most vulnerable. For girls, the consequences can be devastating and long-lasting: increased risk of gender-based violence, early marriage, unwanted pregnancy and permanent school dropout. And as climate change drives more frequent and severe disasters, these risks are growing, disproportionately affecting communities that are already the least equipped to cope.

What we do

We respond where the need is greatest, delivering life-saving support across five core areas. We work to keep children learning in the middle of a crisis through emergency education programs and early childhood support. We create safe spaces for children and provide mental health and psychosocial support to help them process trauma and rebuild resilience. We deliver maternal and child health services, tackle malnutrition and ensure communities have access to clean water and safe sanitation. When families lose everything, we provide emergency food assistance and help communities rebuild their livelihoods through cash support, skills training and enterprise recovery. And because the best response to a disaster is to be prepared before it strikes, we also invest in disaster preparedness; working with communities, schools and local partners to build the knowledge and systems that reduce risk and save lives.

Putting girls and young people at the center

We recognize that humanitarian crises affect girls and young people in distinct ways, therefore we deliver principled, needs-based responses while ensuring an inclusive approach that leaves no one behind. In every humanitarian response, girls are not just recipients of support ā€” they are leaders, advocates and decision-makers. From designing programs to leading community preparedness efforts, we actively engage girls, young women and other vulnerable groups as agents of change in their own communities. Because truly effective humanitarian response doesnā€™t just meet immediate needs ā€” it builds the resilience, skills and confidence that helps girls and communities recover, adapt and thrive long after the crisis has passed.

How you can help

Give to Plan

Our global programs are made possible by donors who believe in building a world where we are all equal. Explore ways to join our mission as a donor.

Learn more
Work with us

We work with partners around the world, from local community groups to global organizations. If you share our belief that every girl deserves the chance to fulfill her potential ā€” we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more

Read more

Four years into the war in Ukraine: What do children need now?

Feb 24, 2026

Four years into the war in Ukraine, children continue to face trauma, disrupted education, and displacement across Ukraine and Eastern Europe. As the crisis shifts from emergency response to long-term recovery, sustained investment in mental health, protection, and education is critical to prevent irreversible harm.

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Sexual & reproductive health & rights

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Every young person has the right to make free and informed decisions about their own body, their health and their future. For millions of girls and young women around the world, that right is denied ā€” by harmful social norms, by health systems that fail them and by laws and attitudes that limit their choices.

In 2025...ā€‹

girls received menstrual health supplies
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people reached with awareness raising activities
0 M
young people accessed healthcare
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The challenges

Girls and young women face barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights that are deeply rooted and wide-ranging. Many have never received accurate, age-appropriate information about their bodies or their health. Others live in communities where talking openly about sexuality is taboo, where girls have little or no say over decisions about marriage or pregnancy or where health workers hold biases that prevent girls from accessing the care and information they need. Harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation continue to affect millions of girls every year ā€” stripping away their choices and causing lasting physical and emotional harm. And for girls living with or at risk of HIV, stigma and discrimination create additional barriers to testing, treatment and support.

What we do

We work with young people, communities, health systems and governments to make sure girls and young women can access the information, services and support they need to make informed decisions about their own health and lives. That includes comprehensive sexuality education that is honest, age-appropriate and empowering; strengthening health services so they are genuinely accessible and responsive to young peopleā€™s needs; and tackling the harmful practices and social norms that limit girlsā€™ choices and endanger their health.

We also prioritize menstrual health, support for pregnant and parenting young women, HIV prevention and treatment and mental health and psychosocial support ā€” recognizing that sexual and reproductive health is not separate from overall wellbeing.

Putting girls and young people at the center

Girls and young women are not passive recipients of this work ā€” they are experts on their own lives, and their voices shape everything we do. We invest in young people as advocates and leaders, making sure they have the knowledge, confidence and platforms to demand their rights and drive change in their own communities. Because when girls can make free and informed decisions about their own bodies and futures, the benefits reach far beyond the individual ā€” they ripple through families, communities and generations.

How you can help

Give to Plan

Our global programs are made possible by donors who believe in building a world where we are all equal. Explore ways to join our mission as a donor.

Learn more
Work with us

We work with partners around the world, from local community groups to global organizations. If you share our belief that every girl deserves the chance to fulfill her potential ā€” we’d love to hear from you.

Learn more

Read more

Choices that create change: Saying no to FGM

Jan 14, 2026

In Ethiopiaā€™s Afar region, some families are quietly choosing courage over conformity by saying no to FGM. This powerful photo story reveals the voices of parents and girls taking a stand against generations of harm, one decision at a time.

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Girl in school uniform with text that reads "Change her forecast"