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Changing Lives, One Sanitary Pad at a Time

September 1, 2018

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Around the world, nationalistic politics have been taking hold. To tackle these increasingly insular narratives, Purpose’s Global Development Campaigns work is seeking to accelerate, create, test, and grow high-potential initiatives that will drive public engagement on global development issues in UK, France and Germany. This work enables us to develop and test new, accessible messages about global development, and to share lessons learned in a movement generous way.

Our first campaign has focused on the issue of period poverty. Period poverty affects the well-being of young women all over the world. In order to activate participation around the issue in 2018, our team sought to find a compelling story and engagement point for audiences around the world. 

Purpose found a key partner in Juliana Katina and the work of Raise the Roof, and leveraged the impact of the global gag rule on sexual and reproductive health to mobilize people around the issue. The US Presidential visit to the UK yielded an historic spike in public awareness and engagement in the British public, and the campaign is using that increased momentum and the story of Juliana to make period poverty a national conversation.

https://twitter.com/RaiseTheRoofC/status/1017364297989722113

Julianna provides sanitary pads for women and girls who can’t afford them in her community, and teaches them how to make reusable ones. Lack of sanitary pads often leads to social challenges, like not being able to attend school or work, that can prevent girls and women from reaching their full potential.

Due to the effect of the US administration reinforcing and expanding the Global Gag Rule, funding for most pad production in the region has been drastically cut. Meanwhile, demand for pads is rising, and Juliana is struggling to keep up. Juliana dreams of creating a hub that will make pads locally, ensuring that they are available for all women and girls. 

https://www.facebook.com/RTRcharity/videos/2062303977135592/?fb_dtsg_ag=AdxRi1WMwDKVVFFOOktD5V4Y90E-4vo-aRzCGXxDzQzXlQ%3AAdx6OIUvMPRmtoo8tEvKyZhy4ZaGgR72KaV34q4vMUa5KA

 

Working with an organization called Raise the Roof and several distribution partners  like The Pool, the team created a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to support Juliana’s work in Barut, Kenya.

In a matter of a week, the campaign reached 50% of its funding goal and the campaign was picked up by  influencers from different fields, including podcast host Emma Gannon, DJ Krystal Roxx, MP Danielle Rowley, gynecologist Dr Anita Mitra, and others.  

The campaign was featured both on TV and in print in The Evening Standard, where Holly Bantleman, Senior Campaigner at Purpose, discussed Juliana’s work and the the issue of period poverty.

 

Help us spread the word about Juliana’s great work, and the issue of period poverty more broadly!

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