FEATURE: Breaking biological barriers and the global fight for women’s equity

Celeste Mergens from Lynden, WA works to break the stigma of menstrual health with “Days for Girls”.

By Hayleigh Tramm June 13, 2024 5:28 pm

LYNDEN, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) - Celeste Mergens, author of “The Power of Days” and founder of the global, award-winning nonprofit Days for Girls International, has transformed the lives of three million girls by giving them the confidence and tools to stay in school. 

Globally, 25% of all women lack reliable access to period products. In a small underprivileged area within Nairobi, Kenya, girls are treated as invisible, sitting on a single piece of cardboard as their only means of managing menstruation.

“When you're in a culture where women are considered invisible, it’s been really important for them to be heard,” Mergens said.

Before Days for Girls was established, these girls faced a harsh reality: either exploit themselves for a single disposable pad or stay home for days each month with no access to education.

Through her own experience of homelessness and period poverty, and moving thirty-two times before the age of thirteen, Mergens understands the importance of stability. Mergens realized that financial aid alone could not be the solution to sustainability.

The organization started in 2008 in Lynden, WA, when dozens of women answered the call to help the girls who were losing their days. Working tirelessly, the group sewed the first 500 kits in just three weeks and delivered them to the community in Nairobi.

By listening to the stories of those impacted by period poverty, Days for Girls has been able to establish a trustworthy connection between the organization and the communities that it serves. All of this has empowered them to build a culture of listening to women.

Days for Girls (DFG) designed their first reusable pad in 2008 to promote self-sufficiency.

According to Mergens, the organization was “failing forward” as they began producing these reusable pads. DFG redesigned the kits over thirty times based on user feedback, ensuring they are both practical and sustainable. The organization holds two patents for these innovations, with each kit lasting up to seven years. 

“You can only do that if you have the courage to be willing to have something wrong, and that is really the secret to innovation: be willing to be wrong, so that you can be more right,” Mergens said.

Building up Chapters

Aside from providing sustainable menstrual products, DFG also offers menstrual health education for communities around the world.

Training programs equip local leaders with skills to produce reusable menstrual products and deliver health education. This self-sufficient model promotes sustainability and reduces dependency on external aid. 

In an interview with Celeste Mergens, she shared a story about the immediate need for a DFG chapter in Beaumont County, Kenya, highlighting the urgency of addressing menstrual health.

A young girl was shamed for having a menstrual stain. With no access to products, she was sent home from school to go wash down at the river. Sadly, she was later found hanging from a tree. The community erupted in anger, rioting and tearing down the fence to the school. It was clear that this community was ready for change. 

One woman emerged as a leader and was an advocate for action. She urged the community to address menstrual health openly, sparking conversations and initiatives to end the social taboo. 

“Listen, listen, there's something we can do. We can decide we're going to talk about this and not shame it and not make a taboo, we can actually educate each other and make a plan so everyone has what they need,” she said. 

As a now prominent figure in politics and a Days for Girls enterprise leader, this woman continues to lead discussions and empower communities.

“It's not taboo to talk about periods in Beaumont County. It's no longer a shameful thing, boys and girls will talk about it and look for solutions and be part of the solution. And that's only been like two-three years,” Mergens said. 

While speaking to the women of Kenya on the topic of genital mutilation, a rite of passage that puts girls at risk of horrible infection, Mergens gave new perspectives to the danger of cutting and advocated for common ground. 

“What if you kept all your rich tradition, and simply cut the cut? What if you make a new decision as leaders who are respected and keep your tradition, but do it in a new way,” Mergens said. 

In just two months, genital mutilation “cutting” dropped from 92% down to 62% as women were invited to set down their knives, keeping their rich tradition yet refusing to endanger the lives of any more girls. 

Men who Know

Success stories from Days for Girls often focus on the women and girls they reach, but menstruation is a universal experience essential to all life. 

In her book, Mergens recounts a pivotal moment when Charles, a representative of the Ministry of Education in Zimbabwe, spoke to a room full of women and expressed his support for the program. Charles shared his realization about menstruation after a young woman's case came before him. She was beaten for refusing to run in public after she explained it was due to her menstrual cycle. 

“This is how I learned what menstruation is. I have a wife, I have a mother. But no one had ever told me,” Charles said.

His revelation led him to advocate for open dialogue about menstruation, recognizing its impact on societal advancement and poverty alleviation. 

Mergens speaks to a group of students at WWU. Courtesy of the Morse Leadership Institute at Western Washington University.

Karen Stout, Director of the Morse Leadership Institute and founder of the Menstrual Health Advocacy community project at Western Washington University, has collaborated extensively with Days for Girls. Stout emphasizes the importance of men's involvement in addressing period poverty.

Stout highlights the need for systemic change, emphasizing that women's efforts alone cannot achieve it.

"This isn’t somebody else's problem; this is everybody's problem."

"Men Who Know" is a program operated by Days for Girls that equips men and boys to support menstrual health. The program works to destigmatize menstruation and encourages discussions in families and communities. 

With gender equity as a barrier to systemic change, the integration of men to the program is leading to generational impacts. 

At Western Washington University, students in the Morse Leadership Institute are actively addressing period poverty through a Menstrual Health Advocacy group. These students raise awareness, break social stigma and fundraise to provide menstrual products for those who menstruate in the WWU and Bellingham community. 

Understanding the physical effects of menstruation, students have found success using a cramp simulator that mimics the muscle contractions felt during menstruation by placing it on the abdomen of both genders. This has sparked significant conversation and has provided an eye-opening experience for those who will never menstruate.

The Power of Education

Days for Girls is making significant strides towards generational social change by valuing reproductive education on topics like puberty, periods, pregnancy, self-defense, hygiene, menopause, genital mutilation and human trafficking prevention. DFG’s goal is to empower others to become leaders in menstrual health education in their communities, encouraging them to confront women's equity issues and amplify voices for lasting change.

In Nepal, the ritual of “Chhaupadi,” which considers menstruating women "untouchable", has been declining since the integration of Days for Girls in that region. This practice endangers women and girls by exposing them to infections, animal attacks and harsh weather as they sit isolated in small huts for days each month awaiting ritual cleansing. Once cleansed and free of the "curse" of menstruation, they can return to their families without bringing the believed bad energy.

The organization was able to work with local community leaders to find a new way to honor this tradition. Together, they were able to remove the isolation factor and opt in to cleanse the pad as their new ritual.

This simple washable kit has opened the door to honest fact-filled conversation that mothers and daughters have been waiting to have. Under Mergen's leadership, emphasizing “The Power of We,” Days for Girls won a SEED award for gender equity and entrepreneurship and was named a ‘Next Ten’ organization poised to change the world in the next decade by the Huffington Post.

By respecting cultural practices and introducing essential education, the organization is breaking down taboos and creating sustainable solutions. Their commitment is clear, Days for Girls will not stop until every community, and every single girl, is reached. 

Every girl, Everywhere. Period.