PLEDGE YOUR PERIOD
(1 May - 31 May)
TO END THE STIGMA OF MENSTRUATION
For nearly a decade, Pledge Your Period has mobilized people around the world to challenge menstrual stigma and advocate for menstrual equity.
In 2026, the timing is historic. Following a landmark Supreme Court of India ruling affirming menstrual health as a Fundamental Right under Article 21, implementation begins, but stigma remains.
This year, our focus is simple: amplify Pledge Your Period to end the stigma of menstruation.
By pledging support for menstrual equity, we can reduce menstrual stigma in our families, schools, workplaces, and communities and bring this topic into the spotlight.
Take the pledge. Share it with your network using #Pledgeyourperiod and tag @DesaiFoundation. Help the movement reach even further than the last.
Pledge Inspiration:
I pledge my period so every girl understands menstruation before she experiences it.
I pledge my period to break the stigma surrounding menstruation.
I pledge my period so no one feels isolated or alone when they bleed.
I support #PledgeYourPeriod because every life begins with a missed period.
I support #PledgeYourPeriod because normalizing menstruation is everyone’s responsibility, across all genders.
FOLLOW
Follow along on our social platforms this May as we share stories and voices through #PledgeYourPeriod.
AMPLIFY
Amplify our mission, support efforts to advance menstrual equity for women and girls across India.
DID YOU KNOW?
IN THE UNITED STATES
2 in 5 people struggle with access to period supplies
16.9 million women live in poverty. 2 in 3 of these women are unable to afford period products
64% of girls will drop out of sports by the age of finishing puberty
40% of women say period pain has affected their ability to work
IN INDIA
70% of all reproductive issues are caused by poor menstrual hygiene
1 in 10 girls below the age of 21 in India can't afford sanitary products and resort to unhygienic substitutes
71% of girls don't know what a period is before they get it
23 million girls drop out of school annually due to improper or lack of MHM facilities
But simply talking about menstruation helps to normalize it, creating greater awareness of the need for proper menstrual health education and products!
WHAT IS MENSTRUAL EQUITY?
Menstrual equity means ensuring that everyone who menstruates has access to the products, information, and support they need to manage their periods safely, comfortably, and with dignity.
It goes beyond access, it's about breaking stigma, creating open conversations, and building systems where no one feels excluded, ashamed, or held back because of their period.
At its core, menstrual equity is about making sure everyone, regardless of background, feels informed, included, and confident to participate in the conversation.
Pledge Your Period Panel Discussion
TBA
Register Now!
Join us as we kick off Menstrual Health Month and our #PledgeYourPeriod (PYP) campaign with an inspiring panel discussion on lived experiences of bleeders featuring advocates, storytellers, athletes and more.
START A FUNDRAISER
Start a fundraiser and join the initiative to raise money for our Asani Sanitary Napkin Program to improve the health and hygiene of women and children in rural India.
Menstrual Hygiene Is Now a Fundamental Right
The Supreme Court of India has ruled that every school must ensure menstrual hygiene for all students. The Desai Foundation is helping schools across India meet this new mandate.
WHAT IS PLEDGE YOUR PERIOD?
Pledge Your Period is an awareness campaign created by The Desai Foundationto strip away the shame around periods, helping to end the cycle of period stigma and poverty!
Our primary goal is to elevate the health and livelihood of the greater community of rural India, targeting women and children in particular to ensure sustainable growth. We believe everyone should have access to the three things that allow for them to dream beyond your circumstances - good health, the ability to work, and the fulfillment of an education.
participating in 2026
This year, our focus is simple: amplify Pledge Your Period to end the stigma of menstruation.
We’re calling on individuals, schools, workplaces, and communities everywhere to take the pledge, start conversations, and bring menstrual equity into the spotlight.
Take the pledge. Share it with your network using #Pledgeyourperiod and tag @DesaiFoundation. Help the movement reach even further than the last.
Men, come join the movement!
SUPPORTING THE ASANI SANITARY NAPKIN PROGRAM
The campaign also supports our Asani Sanitary Napkinprogram, which provides menstrual health education and products to women and girls in rural India who might not otherwise have them.
Through this program, we have:
3.08M+ WOMEN IMPACTED
13M+ SANITARY NAPKINS PRODUCED
16,000+ WOMEN EMPOWERED THROUGH ASANI DISTRIBUTION TRAINING
Hear from some of the incredible women impacted by the Asani Sanitary Napkin program!
Thank you to our Partner!
