Join us in celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Month with The Pad Project. 20% of purchases will support The Pad Project’s Los Angeles Programs, providing period care products to those in need.

May 9th 6-8pm

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On Monday, February 12th, 2024, The Pad Project welcomed Juana Chávez, to join us for our Voices Envisioned Speaker Series at The Oakwood School. The panel, led by Katherine Spillar, Executive Director of The Feminist Majority Foundation, featured Ashley Steimer-King, Senior Program Director of Girls Learn International, Inc, Juana Chávez, Community Organizer and Daughter of Dolores Huerta, Melissa Berton, Executive Director of The Pad Project and Oakwood Student Leaders from Somos Unidos and GECO.

The informative discussion focused on the progress and contemporary challenges faced by the women’s rights movement since 1973. Dolores Huerta who was originally scheduled to speak was unable to attend due to illness, but graciously recorded a very special video message that was shared with all event attendees. To view the video, please click here. For the video of Dolores Huerta’s message to The Pad Project and Oakwood School, please click here.

The Pad Project Ambassador Program’s 4th Annual Bleed Green Event took place on Saturday, January 27th! Big thanks to our Ambassador Program’s Operations Chair, Madhavi Akella, and Environment Track Advisors, Lauren Sotingeanu and Zoe Goldberger, for coordinating such a successful gathering. Bleed Green has held a key purpose in our programming to honor sustainability within the menstrual equity movement and explore product choice. It examines the use, barriers to entry, and perceptions on reusable vs. disposable menstrual products with interactive learning exercises. Madhavi, Lauren, and Zoe noted, “We hope that the resources shared during and after Bleed Green will continue to help inspire members of The Pad Project community to keep learning and improving menstrual equity sustainably.”

Our second annual gala on October 12, 2023 was another incredible success! Thank you to all of you who were available to join us or support us from afar! Held at Playa Studios with the theme Universal Access, Period., over 250 guests attended to celebrate International Day of the Girl. Funds raised at the event will support our international and U.S. programs. This year’s gala honored Julie Uhrman, Co-founder and President of Angel City FC & Suhani Mohan, Co-founder of Saral Designs, for their continued and distinguished work in advancing menstrual equity. Giselle Fernandez, Spectrum News 1 anchor and TV journalist, shared an inspiring video on her personal journey in menstrual education. Fernandez shared, “It’s unfathomable to me that in the 21st century, a woman’s education and wellbeing would be put on hold or taken away because of her natural, blessed monthly cycle that gives life to the future. Menstrual equity is a must and The Pad Project ensures it, period, end of story.”

Get the Gala Recap here >

We are proud to announce that The Pad Project has teamed up with Days for Girls, The Policy Project, PSI Europe, Share The Dignity Australia, and The Toilet Board Coalition to create the movement, Period Positive Workplace!

Organizations can commit to becoming a Period Positive Workplace by ensuring access to (free, subsidized, or products for-purchase) menstrual products in or near every bathroom used by people who menstruate. Workplaces who join this movement will help overcome the stigma and address possible workplace challenges stemming from menstruation.
We recognize and understand that menstruation is a natural and normal part of life, and we strive to develop workplaces that are inclusive and supportive of everyone who menstruates. Addressing basic menstrual needs is one way organizations can invest in gender equity and build inclusive spaces.

Research shows that eight out of ten women have started their period unexpectedly at work, and 96% of those have to leave work to get menstrual products. Workplaces that provide period products report reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, and higher collaboration from employees that menstruate. Similar to a spontaneous bloody nose, menstruation is an involuntary, spontaneous physical occurrence that can disrupt productivity if unmanaged. Organizations become stronger, and more inclusive by providing for menstrual needs.

Our commitment to creating a caring and compassionate workplace culture that values and supports every employee is unwavering. We recognize that ending period stigma is an ongoing process, and we are dedicated to taking meaningful steps to achieve this goal. We hope businesses will continue to join the movement to be Period Positive Workplaces.

On May 24, 2023, Gen V (Visionary Women) and The Pad Project hosted a Volunteer Pad Packing Party at The Pad Project’s office to celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Day. Upheld by the belief that “a period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education,” the event inspired future visionaries to pack pads for women lacking access to affordable menstrual products. GenV’s mission of promoting philanthropy and professional development–a perfect communal partnership with our Los Angeles-based staff. Together, we packed 600 menstrual hygiene kits and donated over 12,000 products to a Los Angeles women’s shelter!

On Saturday, May 20th at 9 am PST, The Pad Project’s Ambassador Program hosted our 2022-2023 Ambassador Showcase! Each year, Pad Project Ambassadors work in teams to generate projects that progress the menstrual equity movement forward through advocacy, arts, education, public health, and environment-focused works. At this showcase, Ambassadors presented their final projects, following months of research, ideation, and preparation, and celebrated their accomplishments and collective impact.

The Pad Project hosted our first ever in-person parallel event at the Commission on the Status of Women at the CCUN Chapel in Midtown New York City on Tuesday, March 14th at 2:30pm EDT! The 2023 forum theme was innovation and technological change, and education in the digital age for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. Our team and Ambassadors were honored to participate in this forum where we screened our latest film project, Long Line of Ladies, and engaged in conversation with members of the Karuk spiritual family to explore the significance of the cultural revitalization of Native ceremonies as they intersect with girls’ and women’s health.

The Pad Project has partnered with the Oakwood School to bring human rights activists from around the world together for our inaugural Gender Justice Summit. With a focus on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #5; to achieve Gender Equality, this landmark event features speakers working on international issues of girls’ access to education, menstrual and reproductive rights, and understanding how gender-based violence affects transgender individuals.

Breakout sessions will offer workshops on topics such as ecofeminism, the protests in Iran, self-identifying female representation in finance, STEAM, and more. Art installations and musical performances will animate the day, and the summit will culminate with a, “Women in Entertainment,” panel that will feature barrier-breaking talents and performers.

The Gender Justice Summit is presented in partnership with Oakwood School

On December 1st, The Pad Project hosted a webinar to share learnings from its international programs and what it takes to make decentralized models for product access work. It was an enriching discussion on how to conceptualize a program and be prepared for various operational challenges. Our speakers shared insights from their work in diverse communities across Africa and South Asia, tackling challenges related to community mobilization, imports, taxation, standards and so much more.

Our speakers include Jess Brainch from Uzima Pads, Mayank Jain from SumArth, Nafisa Jiddawi from WAJAMAMA, Lillian Bagala from Irise Uganda, Amy Peake from Loving Humanity, Abhijit Patil from Saral Designs, Karthik Thangavel from Real Relief, Diana Nelson from Days for Girls and Divyang Waghela from Tata Trusts. Thank you to all of our hosts and speakers for an engaging and educational webinar!

To watch the webinar click here to register and use the Passcode: Xbc8g&.#

For Giving Tuesday 2022, we were honored to partner with Larroude Shoes! Seasoned fashion director Marina Larroude spent the last two decades working side by side with the most talented creatives in the industry. Together with her husband, financier and business operator Ricardo Larroudé, they conceptualized Larroudé.

15% of proceeds from the sales on Giving Tuesday will benefit our pad-making machine programs in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. These pad machine programs employ 6 or more local women, who produce and distribute low-cost quality pads to their community. To date, these programs have produced more than 200,000 pads and provided more than 80,000 girls with menstrual health education. 

A huge thank you to Larroude and everyone who participated!

Support the campaign here!

For Giving Tuesday 2022, The Pad Project teamed up with our partners at Hummingway to host a shopping event at GANNI on Wednesday, November 16th on Melrose in West Hollywood. 

20% of the proceeds from the event were used to support The Pad Project’s 10 pad-making machine programs across Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. 

We are so thankful for our partners at Hummingway, the GANNI team who hosted the event, and everyone who participated!

Support the campaign here!

To honor International Day of the Girl 2022, The Pad Project joined Tory Burch for a special event, donating proceeds directly to our 10 pad-making machine programs across Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

We couldn’t be more grateful to the Tory Burch team and to everyone who participated!

Support the campaign here!

The Pad Project, the menstrual equity nonprofit behind the Oscar-winning Netflix documentary Period. End of Sentence., hosted its inaugural gala with the theme of “Change the Conversation. Period.” The event took place on Thursday, May 12th at the Lombardi House in Hollywood, where 175 guests gathered to support The Pad Project’s programs. Guests represented several generations of menstrual equity advocates, from students to parents to grandparents.

This year, The Pad Project honored celebrity stylist Karla Welch, actress and activist Poorna Jagannathan, human rights activist Ruchira Gupta, and filmmaker Roya Sadat. We are extremely thankful for our supporters, sponsors, and attendees for making this event a success!

Read about the event here!

In honor of International Women’s Day, The Pad Project teamed up with Veronica Beard for a 1-day event to support the amazing work of our international partners. We are so excited to be part of Veronica Beard’s #VBGIVESBACK, an initiative that celebrates every woman’s ability to make a difference. Over the past six years, Veronica Beard has partnered with hundreds of nonprofits, and we are honored that they’ve chosen to support The Pad Project’s work. Thanks to our co hosts, Ashley Greene, Stacey Sher, and Maggie Brown for making this event possible!
Funds raised from the evening supported provind period products to Ukrainian refugees.

Read about Executive Director, Melissa’s Berton’s experience on the Veronica Beard’s
#MAKEITHAPPEN blog here!