Missing a few days of school here and there might not seem like a big deal to most students, but for millions of girls and young women around the world, it’s a monthly occurrence with dire consequences. Without the necessities to manage their periods at school, girls stay home, falling behind on nearly two months’ worth of lessons every year.

The lack of access to menstrual products, education and sanitation facilities (at home and in public spaces) is commonly referred to as period poverty. It disproportionately affects marginalized communities, including those living in poverty, rural areas and conflict zones.

Period poverty is a global crisis that forces countless individuals to make impossible choices between their education, health and dignity — and often leads to suffering in silence. It’s a major problem in the U.S., too. According to Harvard Public Health, one in four teens in the country miss class because they don’t have products to manage their periods effectively.

[Read more: It’s time to talk: Menstrual health in the U.S.]

Beyond the immediate physical discomfort, period poverty has far-reaching consequences. It can lead to health problems, educational disruptions and limited economic opportunities.

As a global humanitarian organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls, Plan believes that recognizing and addressing menstrual health needs as part of girls’ overall well-being is vital to realizing a more equal world. We’ve implemented programs around the world to address period poverty.

Menstrual health in Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, poor access to sanitary products means that thousands of girls are forced to miss school and stay home during their periods. When 15-year-old Isatu first started her period, she didn’t have menstrual pads, so she resorted to using a waist scarf to keep her school uniform clean.

“I used to struggle with feeling uncomfortable,” she says. “I often got infections and had to miss a lot of school during my periods. I even had to repeat a year because of it. Some of my friends dropped out of school because they had similar problems.”

Through a menstrual health project that Plan implemented in Isatu’s community, she received menstrual health education, as well as reusable pads. Isatu told us that it has become much easier to talk openly about periods, too, and she even feels comfortable bringing the subject up with her grandmother and father.

In addition to providing reusable menstrual pads, project staff also taught girls in the project how to wear and wash them. | ©Plan International Sierra Leone

“I hope that more girls who can’t afford pads will be supported and that pads will be distributed regularly,” Isatu says. “It’s important to educate everyone about periods so that there is less stigma. Pads help girls like me go to school and feel better about ourselves.”

Menstrual health in Brazil

Plan International has implemented a comprehensive menstrual health program in Brazil to address the challenges girls and women face in accessing essential products and education.

The program aims to break down stigma, provide menstrual products and promote positive attitudes toward menstruation. By partnering with local communities and organizations, we’re able to reach thousands of girls and women in need.

Through educational workshops and awareness campaigns (that also include boys and young men), the program has challenged cultural taboos and promoted a better understanding of menstrual health. Additionally, the program has provided access to menstrual products, enabling girls and women to stay in school and participate fully in their communities.

Menstrual health in South Sudan

For girls living in South Sudan, managing their periods is not easy. The lack of access to menstrual pads has grown due to conflict that has disrupted the local economy. Young women, like 19-year-old Awil, were using unsafe materials to try and manage their periods.

Awil says that her parents have always struggled to afford menstrual pads for her and her five sisters, but conflict in the region has made their financial situation worse. | Steven Kamponda, ©Plan International South Sudan

“Besides not being able to pay our school fees, my sisters and I have skipped classes because we did not have sanitary pads during our periods,” Awil says.

Part of Plan’s emergency response project in the country addressed this issue by providing these supplies. We distributed cash vouchers and health kits to Awil’s community that included items like pads, soap and underwear.

“This will relieve some of the pressure off my parents, who have always had to work extra hard to provide for the needs of us children,” Awil says.

Girls in conflict and other emergency settings like Awil face especially chaotic conditions that prevent them from accessing the menstrual products they need.

Youth leaders fighting period poverty

Young people are at the forefront of the movement to end period poverty, especially during emergencies. Through community events, peer-to-peer fundraisers and educational campaigns, they are inspiring others to take action and challenge societal norms.

“Young leaders should have the ability to lead, solve and change things,” Byronie, a Youth Advisory Board member and campaign leader, says. “These skills can’t be developed without the space and opportunity to be involved.”

Plan’s Youth Advisory Board is leading It’s Bloody Normal, a period campaign that’s destigmatizing menstruation and helping provide menstrual health products to girls in emergencies — like Awil. Backed by the organization and its network of supporters, these young leaders are raising awareness and funds for Plan’s programs, turning the tide on period poverty. 

The fight against period poverty requires a collective effort from individuals, communities and organizations worldwide. Plan and its supporters are a part of the collective action that helps dismantle barriers children, especially girls, face to their futures.

“These are our problems, moreover our community,” Byronie says. “The sense of shared community creates strength and a sense of motivation that is so inspirational and unique. In my experience, the most powerful movements are formed with the collaboration of young people — the more of this there are, the more good gets done.”

By making a matching gift, you amplify the work of young leaders like Byronie and create a lasting impact. Your donation will help reach even more girls and young women around the world with menstrual products, education and support to communities struggling with period poverty.

Join us in empowering young people to drive change and end period poverty.