Age
17
Country of Residence
Nigeria
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
My friend Nancy was once laughed at by both boys and girls because she stained her clothes in class while on her period. She was mocked and made to feel that she could not take care of herself. I felt bad for her because I knew that this could happen to any girl, including me. I have always wondered: what is so funny about a period that makes people laugh at a girl who is menstruating? One day, I asked my mother about menstruation, and she told me that having a period is one of the things that shows that a girl is becoming a woman. That made me wonder even more: if menstruation is a normal part of growing up, why should a girl be ashamed of it? I realized that the problem is not only menstruation itself. It is the silence, shame and lack of understanding around it. Girls hide their pads, worry about staining their clothes and sometimes suffer quietly because they are afraid of being laughed at. That experience made me want to do something. I want to create a community where menstruation can be talked about openly, where boys understand what girls experience, and where no girl feels ashamed of having her period. This is why I want to start the Period Aware Project.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I will encourage people to join by making conversations about menstruation simple, open and relatable. I will share stories and real experiences that help people understand how period shaming affects girls. My team will organize peer-to-peer conversations where girls can ask questions and share their experiences, while boys can learn about menstruation and how they can be supportive. We will encourage students who participate to share what they learn with their friends. We will also use WhatsApp and other social media platforms to share simple messages that challenge period myths and stigma. I want people to understand that this is not only a girls' issue. Girls need support from boys, parents, teachers and the wider community. As the project grows, I want team members and other interested students to become Period Aware Champions who can continue these conversations with their peers. My goal is for more people to feel comfortable talking about menstruation, so that gradually, buying a pad, asking for help or saying “I am on my period” will no longer be treated as something embarrassing.
How many people are on your team?
10
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
My vision is a community where everyone understands the needs of girls during their periods and protects their dignity. If the project succeeds, girls will feel more confident talking about menstruation and asking for help when they need it. They will know that having a period is normal and that they should not be ashamed if they stain their clothes or need menstrual support. I also want boys to become more understanding and compassionate. Instead of laughing when a girl has a menstrual accident, I want them to know how to respond respectfully and support her. Schools will also become more aware of the practical needs of menstruating girls, including the need for private and safe spaces where girls can manage their periods. I will measure our progress by the number of girls and boys reached through awareness activities, the schools engaged, the number of conversations held, and feedback from girls about whether they feel more comfortable and supported during their periods. Ultimately, I want a girl to be able to say, “I am on my period,” without feeling that she has said something shameful.
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
The Period Aware Project aims to demystify menstruation and create a community where everyone can talk openly about periods without shame or embarrassment, while ensuring that girls feel confident and supported to manage their periods with dignity.
Project title
Period Aware Project
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
The problem I want to address is period shaming and the silence and misunderstanding surrounding menstruation. In my community, menstruation is still treated as something that should be hidden. A girl can buy a pad and feel the need to hide it as if she has purchased contraband. When she gets her period at school, she may become scared of staining her clothes, worried about where she can clean up, and afraid that other students will laugh at her. The burden of menstruation therefore goes beyond being able to afford menstrual products. Girls also need privacy, understanding and a safe place to manage their periods. When these things are missing, girls can suffer in silence and feel ashamed of something that is a normal part of growing up. This matters to me because I am a girl and I have experienced the same fear and embarrassment. I also know that other girls in my community experience it. I want to help change the culture around menstruation so that girls do not have to hide, apologize or feel ashamed because they are on their periods.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
Over the next year, I want to start the Period Aware Project in my school and gradually reach more students and schools in my community. My first step will be to work with my team to learn more about the experiences and challenges girls face during their periods. We will then organize awareness and conversation sessions for girls and boys to help demystify menstruation and challenge period shaming. I will engage school leaders and teachers to discuss the practical needs of menstruating girls and explore how schools can provide safe and private spaces where girls can wash up, change and receive support when needed. I also want to involve parents and community members in conversations about menstruation so that the change does not stop at school. As the project grows, I will train members of my team to become Period Aware Champions who can lead peer conversations and help other students understand menstruation. My goal is to build a student-led movement that can continue spreading awareness and changing attitudes even beyond my own school.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
Many menstrual health programmes focus mainly on girls. My project believes that if we want to end period shaming, we cannot teach only girls about menstruation. Boys, parents, teachers and the wider community also need to be part of the conversation. When boys understand what girls experience during their periods, they can become more compassionate and sensitive instead of laughing at or embarrassing girls. When parents start talking openly about menstruation at home, girls can ask questions and seek support without feeling ashamed. My project also connects awareness with the school environment. It is not enough to tell girls to be confident if they do not have a private place to wash up or change when they have a menstrual accident. I want to work with schools to understand these practical challenges and identify ways to make the school environment more supportive. What makes my project different is that I am not only asking girls to cope with period stigma. I want to change the attitudes and environment around them so that girls are supported by the people they live and learn with. I want menstruation to become something we understand, talk about and support—not something we hide.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
The Period Aware Project will use education, open conversations and school engagement to change how menstruation is understood and discussed. First, I will organize simple awareness and learning sessions for both girls and boys. Girls will learn about menstruation, menstrual hygiene, managing their periods and speaking confidently about their needs. Boys will also be included so that they understand what girls experience and learn how to respond with respect instead of teasing or embarrassment. I will also create opportunities for girls to share their experiences and ask questions in a safe environment. Through these conversations, we can identify some of the challenges girls face when they are on their periods. I will engage schools to discuss how they can provide safe and private spaces where girls can wash up, change when necessary and receive support if they stain their clothes or experience a menstrual emergency. The project will also encourage parents and other community members to talk more openly about menstruation so that girls do not grow up believing that their periods are something shameful. My goal is to move menstruation from something people hide and laugh about to something people understand and discuss with respect.
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our team has 10 members. We will learn together about menstruation, period stigma and the challenges girls face, and then teach and share what we learn with other students. Team members will help with awareness sessions, mobilizing students, communicating with schools, listening to girls' experiences and sharing information with their peers. We will make decisions together and give everyone an opportunity to lead activities. We also have a mentor who supports and monitors our activities.
