Yeni Gün Gazetesi / Türkiye's First Menstrual Justice Ambassadors Program Has Started

Konuşmamız Gerek Derneği launched Türkiye's first menstrual justice ambassadors program on World Menstrual Hygiene Day. This program aims to strengthen the fight against menstrual poverty and stigma by providing 21 young people selected from Türkiye's 7 regions with tools and resources for advocacy and local change in the field of menstrual justice.

World Menstrual Hygiene Day, celebrated globally since 2014, is observed on May 28th each year to highlight menstrual poverty and stigma. The date is chosen due to the average 28-day menstrual cycle and the average 5-day duration of menstruation each month. Konuşmamız Gerek Derneği's 2022 Menstrual Poverty Research, the first of its kind in Türkiye, revealed that 73.6% of participants experience varying degrees of difficulty in purchasing menstrual products. This research indicates that menstrual poverty and access to menstrual health rights are widespread issues in Türkiye.

Since 2016, Konuşmamız Gerek Derneği has been carrying out advocacy work in the field of menstrual justice. The menstrual justice ambassadors program was developed as part of the association's efforts in this area.

The program aims to strengthen the fight against menstrual poverty and stigma by providing 21 young people selected from Türkiye's 7 regions with tools and resources for advocacy and local change in the field of menstrual justice. The selected youth will take an active role in menstrual health rights efforts in their communities and become leaders advocating for menstrual justice in their local areas.

The program's launch and Türkiye's first major World Menstrual Hygiene Day celebration took place on May 28th at Hope Alkazar. The event, attended by young ambassadors from across Anatolia, was sponsored by Orkid, Mey|Diageo, Bluechip, and Hope Alkazar, with additional support from the Empower Foundation and Sabancı Foundation.

The event featured interactive workshops such as creative circles focused on menstruation and somatic experiencing, an informative session on introducing menstrual justice efforts, and a networking session where representatives from supporting institutions and participants discussed youth engagement, menstrual justice, gender equality, inclusivity, and diversity. Powerful messages emerged from the meeting between young ambassadors and supporting institutions.

Zeynep Çetin, Brand Director for P&G Women's Care Category Türkiye, Caucasus, and Central Asia, stated, "Empowering women in society, instilling them with courage and confidence, is among P&G's top priorities. With our Orkid brand, our goal is to support women in overcoming the barriers to achieving their dreams. To this end, we have long collaborated with NGOs to develop projects that provide the necessary support for women. Through our 21-year partnership with the National Women's Volleyball Team, we aim to inspire young girls, and through our projects like 'Oyuna Devam' and 'Sporla Güçlen,' we focus on strengthening their connection with sports. Our 'Okula Devam' project, ongoing for over six years, has provided over 8 million sanitary pads, challenging menstrual poverty."

Merve Özayıtgu, Program Manager at Sabancı Foundation, shared the foundation's multi-stakeholder approach to meaningful youth engagement and the vision that volunteer experiences from various institutions and approaches bring to young ambassadors. She discussed the impact of the dormitories and scholarships supported by the foundation's philanthropy efforts, which ensure uninterrupted education and housing rights for young people. She also highlighted the importance of grant programs for NGOs working in education and youth. Özayıtgu introduced the foundation's 'Changemakers' program, which supports and highlights individuals or institutions that choose to be part of the solution, demonstrate active citizenship, and produce innovative solutions for concrete and sustainable change, inspiring those around them. She also shared the efforts of the 'Young Women Building Their Future' project, launched in 2022 to address the significant societal issue of NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) young women in Türkiye.

Elmas Özler, founder of Bluechip Events, emphasized the importance of prioritizing oneself, personal well-being, and values to the young ambassadors. She shared how Bluechip built an institutional culture that values human rights, nature, animal rights, gender equality, education, and art, and how they creatively convey these messages in their events through solidarity with civil society. Bluechip Events presented personalized cards featuring brave women in red, designed by artist Zeliha Sunal for Konuşmamız Gerek Derneği, to the young ambassadors and event guests.

The event concluded with the Red Gala, where young ambassadors celebrated May 28th with supporters, sponsors, and stakeholders working in the field of menstrual justice in Türkiye. All participants dressed according to the red dress code, and the evening featured dinner, music, dancing, and interactive games centered around menstruation. With the support of Konuşmamız Gerek Derneği, the young ambassadors will return to their cities and take an active role in advocacy and fieldwork in the field of menstrual justice for the next year.