RenewToday, an organization that drives social impact, is calling students to join its WeDeliverPeriod (WDP) initiative.

Co-founded by Amelia Thompson, RenewToday supports initiatives that foster mercy, justice and community.

“My mission in life is to do justice, Love Mercy and walk humbly,” Thompson wrote in a blog post. “I serve communities by designing and offering opportunities for individuals and organizations to also fulfill this charge.”

WDP is a key initiative supported by RenewToday to tackle period poverty.

Why Action Is Needed

Menstruation is a fundamental human right for women and girls, as well as transgender men and nonbinary persons who menstruate. 

Yet period poverty, meaning a lack of access to menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities or waste management, or a combination of these factors, remains a global issue.

An estimated 500 million people who menstruate, worldwide, suffer from period poverty. 

Period poverty is a problem even in the United States where poor women cannot afford sanitary products. And a recent study involving college-aged women found that 14.2 percent had experienced period poverty the previous year and an additional 10 percent experienced it every month.

Period poverty and its ramifications, including financial and physical barriers, mental and physical health risks, and stigma and gender discrimination, falls under at least six of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations and its member states: SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 5 (gender equality), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities).

To achieve any of the six SDGs, it is necessary to support menstrual equity and put an end to period poverty.

How Students Can Support Menstrual Equity

Students can join RenewToday’s WDP initiative to help fight period poverty. 

“WeDeliverPeriod is part of our mercy work and offers strategies to confront period poverty through volunteerism, generosity, and awareness raising activities,” Thompson explained in the blog post. “I was placed into foster care and later adopted as a child. My journey attests to the power of the generosity of strangers.”

WDP aims to foster a global community that is “dedicated to celebrating the purpose and dignity of women and girls.” Its mission is to support menstrual health management around the world and advance the cause of menstrual equity. 

To carry out its mission, WDP partners with students, individuals and organizations. WDP works with students to help them develop campaigns and local chapters and train them as menstrual equity ambassadors in their local contexts. Interested students can contact WDP here.

Interested students can also host a WDP Care Packaging Day or Donation Drive. 

Students who want to start a club or host an event to support WDP can easily do so with TUN’s Club in a Box community tool. TUN’s group features are private, free and designed to build communities so students can easily create, grow and maintain their clubs. 

Follow RenewToday on TUN

Students can also follow RenewToday on TUN to get news and learn about new initiatives and volunteer opportunities!