Grantee Spotlight – Days for Girls
The Circle of Sisterhood supports entities that remove barriers to education for girls and women, uplifting them from poverty and oppression. Because of the generous support of our donors, we’ve had an impact in twenty-two countries since our founding in 2010.
March 12, 2005: a day I remember with a smile. It was a day that I became a woman: the day I got my first period. I immediately told my mom and my sister. I was embraced with open arms and taken out for ice-cream. Because I had an older sister, there were already feminine products in the bathroom. I had already learned about different feminine products from a sex-ed session during 5th grade and a puberty book my mom gave me, so when I got my period, I was not afraid. I just looked at the handy-dandy instruction sheet in the tampon box, inserted, and was able to continue my plans for the day.
During this same time, another 12 year old girl across the globe weeped when she saw her first period. Instead of seeing it as a day of womanhood, she saw her days being taken away from her. She would now have a week each month, where she would need to stay secluded from society, because having something that naturally happens to every woman is shamed upon.
Some people may think, Hey, I wouldn’t mind a week off from work or school each month, but for the women in some developing countries, this is not a time of relaxation. It is a time of not being able to do what you want, because you have nothing to keep you clean and if your society sees you having your period, you are shamed for experiencing a natural, beautiful part of womanhood.
These missed days, are first just 7 days
Then after your first 6 periods, 42 days
These days go from missing class, to falling behind in grades, to just dropping out of school, because of not being able to keep up.
Lack of education sets the girl up for failure. Circle of Sisterhood is committed to changing that story.
Last year the Circle of Sisterhood provided a grant to Days for Girls, an organization that has now given these precious days back by giving young women something simple we take for granted: a pad.
But not just any pad, a pad that has had over 27 iterations from listening to the 300,000+ women in the 100+ countries all around world they have helped, they have created a kit that gives the women 180 days over 3 years! Say hello to opportunity!
The Circle of Sisterhood grant has allowed Days for Girls to expand their reach to South Africa, to provide kits to 250 more girls.
This grant is not just money. It is 45,000 days. 45,000 days made possible by heroes like you.
A woman’s first period should be remembered with a smile. Thank you to our donors for making those smiles possible. Give today to keep the smiles coming!
This blog post was written by Chloe Edwards, a member of Alpha Omicron Pi, past VP of Programming on PHC, and a graduate of the University of Minnesota. She has taught English and worked in marketing abroad. Chloe is currently traveling around the world learning about different cultures. She is passionate about finding ways to bring positivity and empowerment to people to create equality amongst everyone.
Want to share your Circle of Sisterhood story? Contact Mia McCurdy at blog@circleofsisterhood.org