Take ACTION

Make the Extra Pad Pledge – carry a spare pad (or tampon) with you. This simple act means you’re always ready to help someone caught off guard by their period. It’s amazing how a small gesture can save someone’s day and spark a conversation.

Rally your friends, classmates, or colleagues to collect menstrual products for those in need. You can set up a box at work, organize a community fundraiser, or even host a “pad party” where everyone brings donations. Example: A youth group in Johannesburg, South Africa held a pad drive and collected hundreds of pads in a week, which they donated to a local girls’ shelter.

Tip: Take photos (if appropriate) and share updates with donors to show the impact.

Challenge the taboo by talking openly. You could host a small discussion at your home, faith center, or online. Use our #PeriodGiving Conversations idea – invite a few people to chat about periods and how to support menstruators. Encourage men and boys to join too. By breaking the silence, you create understanding. Do: use correct terms (say “period” confidently); Don’t: whisper or use euphemisms that imply shame.

Share knowledge in your community. Perhaps organize a Menstrual Hygiene Education workshop at a local school or community center. We have simple toolkit materials you can use. Or take on an advocacy role: speak to a school head or employer about providing free period products in bathrooms. You can advocate for policy change, like pushing for an end to tampon taxes or for period leave at workplaces. Even writing a letter to local authorities or starting a petition counts as action!

Identify people already doing great work and help them. Volunteer with a menstrual nonprofit near you (for example, join a pad-making session with a group like those in our Stories). Or celebrate them – send a thank-you note or amplify their message on social media. PeriodGiving is about generosity, so supporting those on the frontlines is a powerful action. Example: In Kenya, volunteers regularly help a community clinic run its reusable pad workshops – offering time and skills to expand the clinic’s reach.

Use your unique talents. Are you an artist? Create a mural or digital art about menstrual justice (Art for Advocacy). Good at writing? Pen an op-ed or blog post about period poverty in your region. Love social media challenges? Start a positive campaign (like a “red dot” challenge where people wear something red to show period pride). Creativity can draw in people who might not pay attention otherwise. One group of university students in Nigeria choreographed a dance to highlight period stigma and performed it on campus – it went viral and got people talking!

Donating money or supplies is direct action (see our Donate page for details). You can also start a mini-fundraiser among friends – for instance, commit to run 5km and ask for pledges that will go toward buying pads for a local shelter. Or in lieu of birthday gifts, ask for donations to a period cause. Every bit counts.