Girls for Girls

The Girls for Girls Program is a peer-mentoring and educational experience designed to empower girls to drive their communities towards healthy sanitation practices. In developing communities around the world, 20 to 60% of girls drop out of school when they get their period. Those who stay miss 20% of school days on average due to lack of access to safe, private bathrooms and menstrual hygiene products. Cultural taboos, combined with the lack of access to facilities, and lack of education prevent women from leaving their homes, accessing water sources, or attending work and school during their time of the month. As we know, women’s empowerment and engagement in society can lead to great economic benefits, but first, we need to do our part in providing the basic facilities and education that will keep girls in school. 
The Girls for Girls Program is built to combat these issues head on. We aim to provide educational programs and experiences to teach girls about menstrual hygiene management and healthy sanitation practices through a targeted curriculum paired with peer-mentor support. This program will not only keep girls in school, but will also educate girls on how to teach, motivate, and inspire others in their community to make lasting change. This program hopes to demonstrate that through awareness, these girls will miss fewer days of school due to menstruation and empower them to take full advantage of their education.