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Our Theory of Change
If we
De-stigmatise menstrual and sexual reproductive (MHH & SRH) health at a household, community and ecosystem level
By
Creating safes spaces for menstruators and the wider community for uninhibited conversations around MHH & SRH, gaining credible knowledge and access to tele-healthcare via PeriodShala and Aarogya Saathi
Mentoring high potential leaders and start-ups via The Period Fellowship and PeriodPreneurship
Innovating evidence-based approaches to normalise MHH & SRH in highly marginalised groups via The Period Lab
PeriodShala
Aarogya Saathi
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The Period Fellowship
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PeriodPreneurs
The Period Lab
It will lead to menstruators
Advocating for their needs and making informed choices around beliefs, practices and MHH & SRH products
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Gain access to a stronger menstrual health ecosystem with greater advocacy for ending menstrual stigma
Participating in school, the workforce and societal activities equitably
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Prioritising their MHH & SRH, self-care and health-seeking behaviour
Improving their menstrual hygiene practices (SDG 6.2)
Experiencing supportive environments where they can seek support from men and community members during menstruation
And eventually
GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
Improved health and wellbeing of menstruators
GENDER EQUALITY
Reduced gender inequity
Our Beneficiaries & Partners
Marginalised Groups
Menstruators, men and adolescents living in low-income or rural communities communities
Sex Workers
LGBTQ
Differently abled People
Enablers
Teachers & Frontline Workers (AAAs)
Community Leaders
Governments & Institutions
MHH & SRH Ecosystem
Teachers & Frontline Workers (AAAs)
Community Leaders
Creating a Movement
To date, the number of menstruators and influencers we’ve reached in marginalised communities across India. Hover over each beneficiary to view our 2025 impact goals.
200,000
Adult children and menstruators
Discover Our Impact
Proof of Concept
Our mission is underpinned by a desire to see sustained behaviour change within a community. We develop rigorous monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks in consultation with Nilekani Philanthropies and consultants from IIM Bangalore to ensure that we create meaningful impact for marginalised menstruators over the long-term.
The below diagram captures the results and M&E tools utilised to conduct a Proof of Concept in urban low-income communities in Bangalore from November 2018- March 2019.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Periodshala
Community Intervention that is delivered by our frontline resource persons through MHH/SRH workshops
The prog is designed to achieve the following
OUTCOME
Adult menstruators have dialogue with other stakeholders like husbands and daughters about menstruation
IMPACT
Menstruators advocating for their needs and rights
IMPACT
Increase in hygiene practices
Baseline conducted with 160 menstruators
56% adult menstruators and 80% adol menstruators consider menstrual
blood impure
54% adult menstruators don't about menstruators with anyone
Aarogya Saathi
Telemedicine and informational helpline for menstruators and non-menstruators
Aarogya Saathi is designed to achieve the following
OUTCOME
Menstruators focus
on self care and seek support
OUTCOME
Menstruators prioritize and practice
hygiene practices which are most
beneficial to them
PRE-PROGRAMME M&E
Baseline surveys conducted with the menstruators over phone
70% menstruators could articulate what self care meant to them, only after prompting
None of the menstruators were doing the following hygiene practice- Washing vagina with warm water, taking care of intimate hygiene
Automated Dashboard were also created to contonously monitor data such as issue causes, demograhics, doctor consultations
Enabling uninhibited conversations and safe space for behaviour change through the intervention
3 months after the programme
Post test data collected from 285 menstruators
Endline done with 77 adult and 60 adol menstruators
18 months post programme
Follow up endline surveys conducted by the FLWs with 63 adult and 38 adol menstruators
1. Major hygiene pratice like washing private part with just water increaesed from 8 to 93% post intervention
2. Post intervention, 53% adult menstruators received support from their husbands during PMS/Menstruation
3. Adolescent menstruators continued to sustain major hygiene practices at 80% post intervention.
Endline surveys done with 250 adult menstruators
In-depth interviews done with 30 adult menstruators
Focus Group Discussion done with 10 adult menstruators
All data collected by the Governance third party volunteers and internal team
1. 90% adult menstruators were able to articulate their unique self-care needs, thereby emphasizing their health
2. 30% menstruators started new hygiene practices since the intervention
To understand the long term impact
Tracking incoming and outgoing info on our tech platform by the operations team
Collecting primary data from the beneficiary towards outcomes and design by the Governance team on a monthly basis
Tracking subscription data on the tech platform
Our Impact
During a PeriodShala session with Junior High School students in Bhopal, Priyanka, a 2019 Period Fellow listened as two adolescents confessed, “We feel afraid going to the washroom alone”. Priyanka was surprised as Amita (name changed for anonymity) shared “our toilet doesn’t have a latch so we’re afraid anyone can come in! It’s right next to the boy’s toilet, we feel scared. We ask our friends to wait outside for us. The lights don’t work properly, the toilets are dirty and don’t function. There are no dustbins for us to dispose of our sanitary pads”
Riya in 6th standard shared an instance where one of the boys opened the toilet door unknowingly - it made her feel so embarrassed and ashamed, she stopped going to school for the next 12 days. Kalki in class 7th chose to skip school or she’d have to carry her used pad in her pocket, or not change her pad all day.
Priyanka asked them whether they had spoken to their family or teachers about this, they shook their heads. Priyanka encouraged them to speak up and advocate for their menstrual hygiene needs.
When she visited the school the following week, Kalki explained that students had been having conversations with their teachers about their menstrual hygiene needs and showed Priyanka a letter they had written to the principal asking for a better WASH facility in the school.
The principal agreed to implement the changes over the upcoming holiday break and thanked Priyanka for drawing attention to how the school could create a more supportive environment for menstruators, furthermore enabling their students to take accountability for their menstrual health and enact change.