Celeste Mergens - Days for Girls

Days for Girls International empowers girls, women and communities in 29 nations on 5 continents, reversing the cycle of poverty in a simple, direct, effective and surprising way: We help women have access to sustainable feminine hygiene. One of the major causes of disempowerment of girls in developing countries is their monthly cycle. Many girls cannot afford feminine hygiene products and as a result cannot attend school. A girl absent from school due to menstruation for 4 days of every 28 day cycle loses 13 learning days, the equivalent of two weeks of learning every school term. Studies show that every year of schooling increasing a girl's future earning power by 10 to 20 percent, allowing her to break the cycle of poverty. There are millions of girls and women worldwide who suffer days of isolation, infection, and exploitation due to this single issue-- it will take all of us to reach all of them. With attention to collaboration, and responsiveness to local feedback Days for Girl  tackles large systemic challenges a simple solution that is turning out to be key to social changes. The lessons learned from the journey of Days for Girls International as we burst from a surprising beginning to proving that small and simple things can be key to global social change is as adventurous as it is practical and potentially transformative for organizations as it encourages collaboration for the sake of cause.