Embracing Every Stage: Celebrating Extraordinary Girls

It’s Time! Breaking the Taboo and Empowering Girls Through Puberty.

Entering puberty and experiencing your first period is a pivotal moment in a girl's life. It marks a transition from girl to tween, and tween to teen, each the beginning of an exciting new chapter.

Uniting Girls Worldwide!

Did you know that over 600 million girls aged 10–19 around the world experience menstruation? Regardless of where we come from, our socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, or culture, getting your period is something that connects and unites girls globally.

Yet despite its universality, periods continue to be shrouded in secrecy and shame. A YouGov poll commissioned by the charity ActionAid (2022) revealed some shocking statistics:

• A quarter of UK women have faced period shaming, with negative comments from others.

• One in ten have heard negative remarks about their period from a current or former partner.

• More than a quarter of women aged 16 to 24 admit feeling anxious while on their period in the last 12 months.

  
  

These findings underscore the pervasive stigma surrounding menstruation, with nearly half of UK girls aged 14 to 21 feeling embarrassed by their periods (Plan International UK, 2018). Additionally, there's a lack of awareness about periods.

A girl's first period can be a time of confusion, shock, and worry. Around one in four young women in the UK say they felt unprepared for the start of their period, and one in seven didn't even know what was happening (Plan International UK, 2018). Some girls felt physically prepared but not mentally supported.

Parents and caregivers often find themselves navigating supermarket aisles filled with a confusing array of period products, books, and resources, trying to support these important conversations. And that's in developed countries.

The challenges are even greater in many developing countries, where cultural taboos, lack of access to water, hygiene, sanitation, sanitary products, education, and information create significant barriers for girls. "Despite being a common experience, menstrual health remains largely neglected by policymakers, researchers, and practitioners across the Pacific region, and unmet menstrual health needs are significant. The menstrual experiences of people in the Pacific remain challenging, shrouded in stigma and taboo" (Period Poverty in the Pacific. Exploring opportunities and barriers to progress menstrual health. Pacific Menstrual Health Network).

Addressing the stigma surrounding menstruation is crucial for advancing health, education, and employment outcomes, and promoting gender equality and inclusion worldwide.

Join us in promoting positive conversations about periods and puberty. Together, we can empower girls everywhere to embrace their bodies, celebrate their transitions, and stand boldly in their power.

Let's break the silence, challenge the stigma, and create a world where every girl feels supported, informed, and empowered at every stage of her journey!