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Blog
October 27, 2025

[Video] From sponsored child to teacher: See Nancy’s story

In a bright classroom in northern El Salvador, Nancy watches proudly as her young students discover the joy of learning. She sees herself reflected in their eager faces, recalling the same spark of possibility that ignited her own educational journey years ago.

Nancy knows from experience how a child can transform when they feel supported and valued. She fondly remembers the small gifts she received from her sponsor, like notebooks and pens for school. Most of all, she remembers how their support made her feel like she was not alone and gave her the confidence to pursue her dreams.

That sense of belonging and support stayed with Nancy through college graduation and led her back home. Now, she is using her education and experience to open doors for children in the same community where her own dreams took flight.

Watch Nancy’s story here.

Today, Nancy teaches at an early childhood development center for children ages 0-7 and their families. The center is part of an education initiative supported by Plan International in the Chalatenango region.

Former sponsored child Nancy is now an educator at a Plan-supported early childhood development center in El Salvador. | ©Plan International

“Perhaps life placed this project of caring for young children in my hands to give back what I received in my childhood,” Nancy reflects.

Nancy enjoys working with her students’ parents too. “It’s a family-oriented program,” Nancy explains. “Parents don’t just drop their children off; they have to be involved too. It’s so nice to hear from parents that this program has helped them to change their traditional parenting methods.” | ©Plan International

In her classroom, Nancy supports each child with the conviction that a loving learning environment can change the course of a young life. She creates the nurturing environment she once experienced as a sponsored child.

As an educator, Nancy feels she can give back the support she received as a child. | ©Plan International

“What I like most is that the children are so lovely and pure, and they have this joy that they transmit to you,” Nancy shares. “Hearing them is beautiful; it fills me with joy. I feel super rewarded by the children I am caring for.”

Sponsor a child today!

News & press
October 25, 2025

Mission Box: Tackling Barriers to Girls’ Education After International Day of The Girl

In honor of International Day of the Girl, a new article by Missions Box highlights the enduring global barriers that prevent girls from accessing education — from early marriage and economic hardship to harmful social norms. It features insights from TeachBeyond’s president, David Durance, and emphasizes the urgency of investing in quality education as a pathway out of poverty for girls around the world. The story underscores the critical role local educators and community support play in transforming the future of girls in crisis-affected areas.

Plan International’s 2025 State of the World’s Girls report is cited to show just how devastating the consequences of child marriage can be, with 63% of married girls no longer in school, work or training. As a leading organization working to advance girls’ rights globally, Plan continues to push for gender-transformative education that breaks the cycle of inequality.

Read the full story via Missions Box: Education After International Day of the Girl

Insights
October 21, 2025

What happens when school ends at 13? New data on child marriage’s toll on girls’ education

Every three seconds, a girl is married. Her education often ends that very day.

The impact of child marriage on girls’ education is immediate and long-lasting. It’s especially severe in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America, where the practice remains common and deeply rooted in tradition and poverty.

Plan International’s 2025 State of the World’s Girls report, Let Me Be a Child, Not a Wife, offers one of the most comprehensive global examinations of how marriage before age 18 disrupts learning, limits opportunity and reinforces cycles of inequality.

The report draws on interviews with over 250 girls who were married as children across 15 countries. It also includes a survey of 244 youth activists and an analysis of national legal systems. This creates a rare and powerful look at what happens when child marriage shuts the door on education — and how policy and programs can open those doors back up.

What happens to girls’ education after marriage?

The numbers are staggering: 251 million children and youth are out of school worldwide, and nearly half are girls. In countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Guatemala and Togo, the link between child marriage and school dropout is not only clear — it’s urgent.

Findings from the report, echoed in CNN’s As Equals series, confirm what youth advocates have long warned: child marriage is one of the primary reasons girls leave school prematurely.

These effects aren’t limited to formal marriages. Informal unions can carry the same educational and social consequences, including early pregnancy, stigma and pressure to drop out of school — even though they’re rarely documented in official statistics.

Consider this:

1. 63% of married girls are not in school, working or enrolled in skills training.
2. 35% dropped out of school specifically because of marriage.
3. Fewer than 1 in 5 married girls remained in school. Many of them faced stigma or pressure from family members to stay at home.

“Most community members don’t support married girls to attend school. They think if girls are getting married, they have to stay home, give birth and care for their husband and children.”

— Guedi, 24, Ethiopia

The consequences go far beyond academics. Without education, girls lose access to meaningful jobs, leadership roles and decision-making power. Over time, entire families and communities bear the cost of that loss.

Three systemic reasons married girls drop out of school

While each story is unique, three recurring structural issues explain why child marriage so often cuts education short:

1. Loopholes in the law

In nearly two-thirds of the countries studied, the law sets 18 as the minimum age for marriage. Yet exceptions — based on parental or judicial consent — create legal grey areas that enable the practice to continue. These loopholes undermine enforcement and weaken the systems meant to protect girls.

2. Poverty as pressure

For many families, the decision is financial. Informal unions — where girls live with a partner without legal recognition — can carry the same educational and social consequences, including early pregnancy, stigma and pressure to drop out of school.

Nearly half of the girls interviewed said poverty played a central role in their marriage. Without scholarships, stipends or financial incentives to keep girls in school, marriage may seem like the only path to survival.

3. Social norms that erase futures

Cultural expectations also play a role. Once a girl is married, education is often seen as irrelevant — or worse, inappropriate. One youth activist put it plainly:

“Once a girl is married, her future is seen as closed, even if she still wants to learn.”

— Youth Activist

These social pressures are often magnified by the school environment. Only 39% of schools provide menstrual health education. Just 31% offer safe, private sanitation facilities. For adolescent girls — especially those who are married or parenting — these missing services make staying in school even harder.

And even where laws are strong, families bypass them through informal unions — non-legally recognized partnerships where girls live with a spouse-like partner. These arrangements offer no legal protection, are harder to monitor and are becoming more common in regions where marriage laws have tightened.

Girls speak out: What they lose and what they demand

The voices in the report are sobering — and galvanizing.

“Getting married before the age of 18 is not right. It disrupts education. Within a year or two of marriage, a child is born. At that time, I am still a child myself. How can I, being a child, raise another child?”

— Farhana, 21, Bangladesh

“I wasn’t allowed to study or progress in life. I was deprived of everything. But I won’t let that happen to my daughter.”

— Juna, 24, Nepal

“If you are married, you can no longer continue school unless your husband tells you to continue. And you have to wake up and do the housework before going to school.”

— Dagan, 17, Togo

These girls are not just recounting personal hardship. They’re also advocating for systems to change. They remind us why education isn’t just a right — it’s a lever for reclaiming futures that others tried to close off.

Beyond the classroom: What child marriage costs us all

The loss of education due to child marriage is not just a personal tragedy. It’s a development crisis.

Plan’s research confirms what economists have long known: girls see education as a route to income, independence and security. Global studies suggest that each additional year of schooling can boost future earnings by around 10%.

If all girls completed secondary school, global child marriage rates could drop by two-thirds.

The economic cost of lost education runs into the billions. The social cost — lost leadership, weaker development and deepened inequality — is just as profound.

What works: Lessons for program and policy design

Access to education must be built into child marriage prevention strategies

Stopping child marriage is not enough. Programs must help married girls return to school — with flexible schedules, accelerated learning, and tailored support for parenting girls.

Reach the most vulnerable first

Girls in rural, low-income or displaced communities face the highest risks. Interventions must include child care, safe transport, mobile schools and community-based education centers.

Legal change must come with investment

Changing the law is only part of the solution. Without real investment in schools and systems, girls will not have true choices.

Five ways technical peers can act now

Here’s how professionals across sectors can contribute to change:

1. Build re-entry programs with flexible schedules, child care and mental health support.
2. Offer financial incentives like stipends, school meals and transportation.
3. Train educators to support married and parenting girls with care, not judgment.
4. Track not just enrollment, but also attendance, progression and re-entry.
5. Fund and elevate girl-led organizations working to shift harmful norms.

Protect education, protect futures

The message from the 2025 report is clear and urgent: Every three seconds, a girl is married. Each time it happens, her chance to learn, earn and lead may be lost.

But this isn’t inevitable.

For practitioners in education, gender equity or youth development, this is a rallying cry — not only to prevent child marriage, but to rebuild opportunity for girls who’ve already been impacted.

Education is the strongest defense against child marriage and the most powerful tool for reclaiming a future.

Frequently asked questions

Why is child marriage linked to school dropout?

Child marriage often results in girls being pulled out of school due to family expectations, pregnancy and societal norms that discourage married girls from continuing education.

Can married girls return to school?

Yes, but they face many barriers including stigma, lack of child care, inflexible school systems and unsupportive environments.

What legal gaps enable child marriage to continue?

Many countries set 18 as the minimum marriage age but allow exceptions with parental or judicial consent, undermining the law’s effectiveness.

What are informal unions, and how do they affect girls’ education?

Informal unions are relationships where girls live with a partner without legal marriage. They typically result in similar outcomes as child marriage — including school dropout, limited legal protection and reduced opportunities.

What role does poverty play in early marriage?

Poverty is a major factor. Families may see marriage as a way to reduce costs or gain security.

How does child marriage affect economic development?

It reduces girls’ education and future earnings, weakening overall productivity and reinforcing poverty cycles.

What can policymakers do to reduce child marriage?

Close legal loopholes, fund education re-entry programs, support families financially, and promote gender equity in schools.

News & press
October 20, 2025

Children and Youth Services Review: Intimate partner violence and parent’s use of violent discipline against young children in Rwanda: A baseline study of the REAL fathers Initiative

Plan International partnered with Georgetown University and JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. to implement the REAL Fathers Initiative (Responsible, Engaged, and Loving Fathers) in Rwanda under USAID’s Gender-Transformative Programming for Advancing Care for Children in Adversity project. The program engages young fathers as positive role models to reduce intimate partner violence and violent discipline against children — helping men build safer, more nurturing families. Through community mentorship and peer learning, REAL Fathers encourages fathers to redefine masculinity, share decision-making, and model empathy and respect at home.

This newly published baseline study, featured in Children and Youth Services Review, presents data collected before program implementation. Conducted by Plan International and its research partners, the study found that 56% of fathers reported using violent discipline with children and 39% of mothers experienced intimate partner violence, underscoring the urgent need for interventions that address harmful gender and parenting norms. The findings highlight Plan’s leadership in advancing gender-transformative, evidence-based approaches to parenting and violence prevention.

Read the full study here: Intimate partner violence and parent’s use of violent discipline against young children in Rwanda: A baseline study of the REAL fathers Initiative

Insights
October 17, 2025

Adapting to a shifting development landscape: Lessons from Latin America

By Carlos Romero, business development manager at Plan International USA. To learn more about Plan’s work, get in touch:

[email protected]

A sector in transition

What happens when the old models no longer work?

From rising development and humanitarian needs to shrinking aid budgets, the development sector is under pressure. For organizations working at the intersection of education, protection, economic stability and gender equality, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

At Plan International, we’ve been asking ourselves tough questions: How do we adapt to a volatile funding landscape without compromising quality or equity? How do we stay accountable to communities while transforming how we deliver?

This blog shares what we’re learning from Latin America and the Caribbean and how our teams are applying those lessons in real time.

The development landscape is changing

Foreign assistance continues to decline. Foundation funding is harder to access. At the same time, the needs of children — especially girls — are growing more complex and urgent. Climate shocks, economic instability, displacement and violence continue to disrupt education, compromise community safety, strain families and increase risks for youth.

We’ve had to face a hard truth: Yesterday’s tools don’t meet today’s challenges. So we’re evolving — not just to survive, but to stay resilient and focused on what matters most.

How Plan International is adapting development models

Smarter, more efficient delivery

We’re investing in community-led approaches, reshaping partnerships and designing delivery models that reduce costs while expanding reach. This includes combining services across sectors, simplifying internal structures and collaborating more effectively with local actors. By using unrestricted resources alongside co-investments from new partners, we’re reducing duplication and staying agile in complex environments.

Decisions grounded in evidence

We use real-time insights from program implementation to refine our approaches and respond to evolving local contexts. Learning from what works — and where we need to improve — helps us adjust strategies without compromising outcomes.

Co-creating with local and regional partners

We build solutions with youth- and women-led organizations, government institutions and the private sector. In many cases, this means aligning program design with market realities, so that our work supports sustainable systems and long-term impact.

“I believe that both governmental and non-governmental organizations are striving to adapt to the evolving landscape of international cooperation by taking more proactive rather than reactive approaches.

This shift requires greater collaboration among organizations, with an emphasis on joint actions and, above all, a commitment to community-based organizations. These local actors not only operate with lower overhead costs but also achieve high impact in their interventions.

At the same time, many organizations have diversified their financing sources. This has enabled them to update their operational models and organizational structures, making them more resilient and better equipped to respond to current challenges.”

— Luis Fernando Morataya, employment and entrepreneurship advisor, Plan International Guatemala

From strategy to impact: What adaptation looks like in practice

These shifts are shaping real outcomes across Latin America and the Caribbean. Our teams are applying new approaches to:

— Invest in locally led solutions

— Align programs with real labor market needs

— Partner across sectors to strengthen systems

— Use evidence to adjust programs in real time

Real-world case studies: Community-led development in action

Guatemala: Income growth through EMPLEA-T

Objective: Integrate youth into the labor market by strengthening their technical skills for innovative, sustainable enterprises.

What we achieved: Participating youth increased their net monthly income by over 200% after job readiness training.

Youth from EMPLEA-T celebrating training completion — Youth participants from the EMPLEA-T program in Baja Verapaz, Guatemala, celebrating after completing job readiness and entrepreneurship training. | © Plan International

Guatemala: Reducing absenteeism by 82 percent

Objective: Empower school-aged girls to manage menstrual health and stay in school.

What we achieved: The Eliminating Barriers to Education initiative reduced absenteeism by 82% in high-risk communities.

Dignity kits help girls stay in class — Students in Guatemala share the contents of dignity kits filled with crucial supplies to help manage their periods and stay in class. | © Plan International

El Salvador: Market-driven youth employment

Objective: Equip vulnerable youth, especially young women, with market-relevant skills.

What we achieved: In partnership with the American Chamber of Commerce in El Salvador, we co-designed job training and mentorship aligned with real job demand.

Bolivia: Rapid response to 2024 floods

Objective: Provide emergency food, water and sanitation aid to flood-affected communities.

What we achieved: Over 4,300 families received aid through a coordinated response with national and local actors.

Peru: Expanding access to preventive health

Objective: Reduce disease risk from climate emergencies in Loreto, Peru.

What we achieved: Reached 20,000+ people in vulnerable areas by strengthening local health systems.

Key lessons from adapting development programs

“Lo que coseches mañana será fruto de lo que siembres hoy.” — Spanish proverb

This proverb reflects the long-term, community-rooted approach that drives our work. We’re learning that:

— Innovation thrives in deeper collaboration with local actors.

— Adaptive programs deliver greater impact.

— Impact grows when communities co-own the solution.

This moment calls for bold collaboration and shared accountability to navigate the growing complexity of development work.

Joining forces for sustainable development impact

We invite peer organizations, funders and partners to join us in reimagining how we deliver impact — not just with new tools, but with new mindsets.

Until we are all equal.

Blog
October 10, 2025

When the guns fall silent: What is the true meaning of peace for Gaza’s children?

When — or if — the guns fall silent, Gaza’s children will hear something that they have lost: the sound of silence. If the wishes of Gaza’s children have found their echo in a peace deal being negotiated in Sharm El-Sheikh, this could truly be a new beginning.

For the first time, many will fall asleep without the deafening roar of missiles, the echo of explosions, the relentless buzz of drones or the constant screams of children. The screams and nightmares that once filled anxious nights may fade, replaced — perhaps — by the unfamiliar quiet of safety and sleep.

There are no winners in wars. I have seen this truth in the faces of children and mothers in war zones – in Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and beyond. No words can truly capture what brutal wars leave behind. Lives and landscapes changes for ever.

Approximately 20,000 children are amongst the 67,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since Oct 2023. 1,200 Israelis were also killed in Israel. Children never start wars, yet they suffer the most. Many are buried under the rubble of what used to be homes, schools and hospitals. Thousands more are wounded, orphaned or deeply traumatized. Peace must flow in one direction — toward every child.

Silence, in Gaza, would not be emptiness; it would be the sound of survival, of life daring to return. It may mark the beginning of a new hope for children — to start dreaming of a day they could get a new school bag, a football, a playground and fly a kite in a sky free of the roar of fighter jets.

Fear may give way to real lullabies — sung by mothers who no longer have to whisper and cry in the dark. Many of them have watched their children being killed or amputated. For these children and their mothers, peace is a new moment, a new beginning. They carry the painful memories of the past as they move forward.

Peace is the freedom to wake up and find their homes or schools, or whatever is left where homes and schools stood, still on their imagination. It is the joy of hearing laughter instead of sirens and speeding ambulances.

No child should be part of war — never. And true peace is not only the silencing of weapons. It is a starting point for healing wounds that bullets and bombs leave behind. It is rebuilding classrooms where laughter can replace the sound of falling rubble. It is helping children unlearn fear — and to think of celebrations, not death.

Families might rebuild their mornings with the simple act of making tea and breathing freely without fear — small moments that carry immense meaning when peace has been absent for so long.

Peace is not defined only by the absence of wars and is not a pause between two wars. In Gaza, a whole generation of children have lived through wars or conflict six times – in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021 and another one since October 2023. There is only so much that young minds can take.

I have seen first-hand the inexplicable brutality of war, and the impact of weapons and blast injuries and burn injuries on children in Gaza and other war zones during my humanitarian missions. I have also witnessed the determination of children in Gaza to beat despair.

That is why peace must travel in one direction — towards every child, every family, every shattered classroom and bombed playground. Negotiations may start in closed rooms. In true sense, peace is what must be lived in homes, schools, hospitals, libraries, market cafes and streets.

Peace is often the sound of crayons scratching on paper instead of warning sirens. It is a girl walking safely to school or a child kicking a football without fear or flying a kite. Peace becomes a reality when children start talking in future tense and when a family dares to plan for tomorrow.

Yesterday, I visited a humanitarian warehouse in Cairo. Young volunteers – some still in college – stood shoulder to shoulder with my colleagues from Plan International Egypt, packing food and loading trucks headed for Gaza. There was a quiet rhythm to their work, a shared purpose that spoke louder than words.

Volunteers and Plan International staff packing food parcels in a Cairo warehouse for Gaza aid convoy, working alongside Life Makers Foundation. — In a warehouse in northern Cairo, Plan International staff and volunteers pack food parcels for Gaza. The Oct. 16 convoy, assembled with the Life Makers Foundation, is part of a wider emergency response. | © Plan International

Hope was everywhere — in their hands, in their eyes, in the way they moved faster as another anxious, yet more optimistic day, progressed. Each box carried more than food; it carried care, compassion, and the belief that Gaza’s children deserve a tomorrow filled with peace.

When peace finally comes — and we must all believe it will even when every peace negotiations look shaky and “is one step forward and two steps backwards” as peace negotiators often describe the moment — it will not be hollow. It will be sacred. It will be the soft echo of a people reclaiming their humanity, one heartbeat, one child, one dawn at a time.

For Gaza’s children, peace is the right to grow up with dignity, to laugh without flinching, to rebuild memories not of war, but of wonder. Silence, in that sense, is not emptiness; it has the potential to be music of healing.

I remember 2009 vividly — another brutal war, another mission. Amid the dust and debris in Gaza, I met 12-year-old Omsiyat. She asked me a question that has stayed with me since: “Why are children made to suffer in wars?”

Omsiyat and her young friends were picking up burnt books and crayon peace posters out of the rubble of their partly charred school. A smile (I would call a ‘one and a half smile’) broke on the face of another girl when she spotted a colourful poster she had drawn. She told me that she is happy she got it back, sad the bombs burned a part of it, trying, even then, to find light amid the ashes.

When peace travels in one direction, it is about hope and life. Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian national poet, wrote “There is so much in this land worth living for”, something Gaza’s children deserve.

Blog
October 10, 2025

Beyond the backpack: 5 ways school changes everything for girls

Last year on International Day of the Girl (Oct. 11), Plan International announced a new partnership with Paramount to launch a new global campaign to champion girls’ education.

This year, Plan International and Paramount, in partnership with Nickelodeon, launched the next chapter of that campaign with beloved explorer Dora. As classrooms fill for a new school year, purple backpacks filled with essential school supplies are being distributed in Mexico, Indonesia, Lebanon, Uganda and Peru.

Watch the Worthy PSA here.

For some girls, back to school means fresh supplies, a safe classroom and time to focus on their studies. For others, like 14-year-old Muta in Cambodia, getting an education takes determination that begins long before the school bell rings.

Muta’s day starts at 4 a.m., when she washes dishes, fetches water and prepares breakfast before walking nearly five miles to class. After school, she cares for her baby brother, helps with the family’s cashew and cassava harvest and cooks dinner. There’s little time left for homework — but she’s determined to keep learning.

For many girls like Muta, the barriers to education are steep: household chores, long distances to school, family finances and cultural beliefs about the value of educating girls. Globally, 129 million girls are out of school.

Plan is working with local partners in Cambodia to help girls stay in school by providing bicycles to make the journey easier, scholarships to cover costs and catch-up classes to help them keep pace. Thanks to her bike and catch-up classes, Muta’s reading, writing and math skills have improved.

“My teacher is very nice,” Muta says. “She spends a lot of her time teaching me. My results are getting better, and I am now 13 among 20 children in my class.”

Muta’s story is just one example of how access to school can change the trajectory of a girl’s life. When girls have the tools and opportunities to learn, lead, decide and thrive, the impact reaches far beyond the classroom — strengthening entire communities.

From the first day of school to graduation, here are five ways education transforms girls’ futures — and strengthens entire communities:

1. Girls break the cycle

Education gives girls the knowledge and confidence to recognize their rights and make informed choices, reducing the likelihood of child marriage or trafficking. Educated girls often become role models and leaders in their communities.

2. Girls build financial security

Completing high school boosts women’s earning power by nearly 50%. When women earn more, they reinvest in their families’ health, education and wellbeing.

Children in Ukraine receive backpacks filled with school supplies. Girls in crisis settings are nearly 2.5 times more likely to be out of school than those living in countries not in crisis. | ©Plan International

3. Girls grow the global economy

If every girl received 12 years of quality education, women’s lifetime earnings could increase by as much as $15 trillion globally — driving prosperity for everyone.

Your support helps to provide students in Uganda — and around the world — with the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond. | ©Plan International

4. Girls unlock their potential

School builds critical thinking, confidence and leadership skills. Educated girls grow into women who challenge harmful practices, advocate for equality and inspire the next generation.

Two girls in Nepal are all smiles as they wear their new purple backpacks. Education gives girls the confidence and knowledge to shape their futures, protect their rights and strengthen their communities. | ©Plan International

5. Girls create a world where we are all equal

When girls learn, they open doors for everyone. Educated women work to make their communities better for all by championing access to resources, opportunities and decision-making power.

Explore how you can help ensure that this school year, every girl has the chance to learn, lead, decide and thrive — because her future starts now.

Learn more

News & press
October 9, 2025

Kimberly-Clark Launches Enhanced Global Partnerships to Advance Essential Care for 24 Million Women and Girls

PRESS RELEASE

Kimberly‑Clark Launches Enhanced Global Partnerships to Advance Essential Care for 24 Million Women and Girls

DALLAS, Oct. 9, 2025 — Kimberly‑Clark Corporation (NASDAQ: KMB) is deepening its commitment to advancing essential care for women and girls through four enhanced strategic, charitable partnerships. Through new programs with Baby2Baby, Plan International, Project HOPE, and UNICEF, Kimberly‑Clark aims to expand access to life-changing care in Brazil, Peru, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the United States. Taken together, these partnerships will work to improve the lives of an estimated 24 million women and girls over the next three years.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here:

https://www.multivu.com/kimberly-clark/9238951-en-kimberly-clark-global-partnerships-women-and-girls

This announcement is a direct result of the Kimberly‑Clark Foundation‘s recent sharpening of its strategic focus: to advance essential care for women and girls on their journeys through puberty and motherhood. The foundation will fund this three-year, $28.7 million commitment, which focuses on menstrual care and maternal & infant care.

Women’s Health Remains an Urgent Issue around the World

Every seven seconds, a woman or infant dies during or shortly after childbirth, according to the World Health Organization. Furthermore, approximately 500 million women and girls lack access to resources to manage menstruation, as reported by the World Bank. Despite the difficult landscape, opportunities to uplift women and in turn — entire communities — abound: according to the World Economic Forum, “Investment in women’s [health] is unrivaled in its return on the investment for the health of all of society.”

“We envision a world where women and girls everywhere can receive equal access to the fundamental care they need to thrive,” said Mike Hsu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kimberly‑Clark and President of the Kimberly‑Clark Foundation. “Kimberly‑Clark invented the feminine care category in 1921, and we’ve remained committed to advancing care for women and girls ever since. From developing innovations that meet our consumers’ unmet needs to deploying strategic social impact programming, we take great pride in our responsibility to work to improve the lives of the communities we serve. Now, we’re aiming to accelerate our impact because we know Better Can’t Wait.”

The programs funded will focus on supporting underserved communities. Key initiatives will include menstrual hygiene and stigma-breaking educational programs for adolescents; programs to expand access to safe sanitation solutions; comprehensive perinatal and newborn care services; maternal mental health supports; and programs aimed at strengthening health systems to improve outcomes for the most vulnerable.

Transformational Partnerships to Deliver Better Care for a Better World

Kimberly‑Clark’s alliance with Baby2Baby to provide essential baby items for families living in poverty began in 2011 as the nonprofit organization’s first corporate partner. In 2024, the company’s Huggies® brand deepened this commitment by supporting Baby2Baby’s initiative to address rising maternal mortality rates in the U.S., in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Through the distribution of Maternal Health & Newborn Supply Kits, the program addresses the critical intersection of diaper need, newborn health and maternal mental health.

“We are deeply thankful to our longtime partners at Kimberly‑Clark and their Huggies brand for their unwavering support. Thanks to their extraordinary donation and three-year commitment, we will make a greater impact in the fight against maternal mortality,” said Baby2Baby Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof. “With their help, we are expanding our efforts to deliver supplies to new mothers across 15 states, ensuring they have the basic essentials they need for themselves and their babies, especially during the often overwhelming postpartum period.”

Since 2020, Plan International and Kimberly‑Clark, alongside its Kotex® brand, have reached an estimated 11 million people through programs that support girls’ menstrual health. This evolved partnership serving the U.S., Brazil, China and Peru will create period-friendly community and school environments by ensuring access to supplies, bathroom facilities, and education that empowers girls to manage their periods with confidence and dignity.

Plan International has worked with Kimberly-Clark in Brazil since 2020, reaching more than 1 million individuals. Credit: Plan International

“With over 80 years of experience championing opportunity for girls, Plan International knows that menstrual health is key to unlocking girls’ potential,” said Kate Ezzes, Vice President of Program Development at Plan International USA. “We also know lasting change happens when boys are engaged as allies. Our partnership with Kimberly‑Clark helps dismantle harmful taboos and ensures every child can learn, lead, decide and thrive.”

Kimberly‑Clark’s partnership with Project HOPE will expand access to menstrual and maternal health for women and girls in China and Indonesia. The initiative focuses on menstrual hygiene education, respectful maternity care, and mental health support. Through a life-cycle approach, the program empowers individuals from adolescence through pregnancy and early motherhood with education, digital tools, and compassionate care.

“Kimberly‑Clark and Project HOPE share a deep commitment to a world where women and girls have access to the care, dignity, and opportunities they deserve,” said Dr. Uche Ralph‑Opara, Chief Health Officer at Project HOPE. “Kimberly‑Clark has long been part of our journey, supporting our work through product donations and core mission support that have helped expand access to essential health services for women and girls across the globe. This next phase of our partnership takes that impact even further through a holistic approach that supports women and girls at every stage — from a girl’s first period, to pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond. Together, we’re investing in education, mental health, capacity-building, and advocacy to drive sustainable, systemic change.”

Over the course of an almost 25-year relationship, Kimberly‑Clark and UNICEF have worked together to improve the health and well-being of babies, girls, and women in 26 countries. Now, that legacy continues through a new multi-region initiative focused on menstrual hygiene education and access for girls and maternal health for young mothers across Brazil, India, Indonesia, Peru, and Vietnam.

“Since 2001, our partnership with Kimberly‑Clark has empowered close to 14 million children and adults through the provision of neonatal healthcare, early childhood development, clean water, sanitation and hygiene, and lifesaving services during emergencies,” said Kitty van der Heijden, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Partnerships. “We are grateful that this transformative partnership for girls and women is now deepening to save even more lives, deliver services that promote dignity and create lasting impact for future generations.”

While some of these charitable partners are long-standing collaborators with Kimberly‑Clark, this marks a new chapter in how these organizations work with the foundation. By aligning around two critical impact areas — menstrual care and maternal & infant care — as part of the foundation’s new strategic focus, these partnerships address interconnected challenges that are often treated in isolation.

This integrated approach reflects the full continuum of care, recognizing the deep links between menstrual health, maternal wellbeing, and infant development. As a company whose brands already serve these populations with essential products like diapers and feminine hygiene solutions in each of these regions, Kimberly‑Clark is strategically positioned to make a meaningful impact, at scale, through these partnerships.

“We seek to lead with care in everything we do,” said Russ Torres, President and Chief Operating Officer of Kimberly‑Clark. “‘We Care’ is, in fact, one of our three core values. Whether it’s caring for our people, our customers, our consumers, or the communities in which we live and operate, care is at the heart of Kimberly‑Clark. These strategic partnerships enable us to extend this value even further as we work to ensure women and girls around the world receive the essential support they deserve.”

The Kimberly‑Clark Foundation’s enhanced focus on caring for women and girls is one of the many ways the company works to live its purpose of Better Care for a Better World. It is also aligned to the company’s Powering Care business strategy and will directly contribute to delivering on Kimberly‑Clark’s global ambition to positively impact 1 billion lives by 2030. To learn more about Kimberly‑Clark’s 2030 ambition and the work of the Kimberly‑Clark Foundation, visit https://www.kimberly-clark.com/en-us/sustainability/2030-ambition.

About Kimberly‑Clark

Kimberly‑Clark (NASDAQ: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries and territories. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, Goodnites, Intimus, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 70 countries. Our company’s purpose is to deliver Better Care for a Better World. We are committed to using sustainable practices designed to support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and enable our business to thrive for decades to come. To keep up with the latest news and learn more about the company’s more than 150-year history of innovation, visit the Kimberly-Clark website.

About the Kimberly‑Clark Foundation

Established in 1952, the Kimberly‑Clark Foundation is the charitable arm of Kimberly‑Clark Corporation and is dedicated to supporting global causes that create lasting social change. Funded by the corporation, the foundation’s primary focus is on social impact investments that help advance essential care for women and girls on their journeys through puberty and motherhood.

About Plan International

Plan International is a global nonprofit that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of challenges children face. We are there from birth until adulthood, and we support children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity, focusing especially on girls’ experiences in more than 80 countries.

Contact

Vannette Tolbert

Senior Manager, Communications

Email: [email protected]