At their Apr 28 noon meeting, Kingston North Kitsap Rotarians heard a presentation from Shirley Wildler, Director of the Poulsbo chapter of Days for Girls International. There are more than 1k such chapters around the world, staffed with 50k volunteers. Their mission is to supply feminine hygiene products and health education to women suffering “period poverty,”
a condition that results when women of child-bearing age cannot work or attend school because they must stay home for lack money to buy feminine hygiene products.
Shirley explained this is not just a third world problem in places like Africa, Cambodia, Lebanon, and Nepal. She said one in ten experience period poverty in the U.K., 26% in New Zealand, and 20% in the U.S. Scotland recently passed a measure requiring free female hygiene products.
Days for Girls, the organization, has made and distributed two-million kits worldwide in its twelve years of existence. The Poulsbo chapter has sent out more than 5k kits. The kits are designed to last three years of use. They give women of child bearing age their days back.
Information is available at: poulsbowa@daysforgirls.org.