The Period Fellowship 2022-24

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Are you passionate about gender equity?
Motivated to become a future menstrual health leader?

We’re looking for women* applicants who are passionate about Gender Equity and Menstrual, Sexual and Reproductive Health to join The Period Fellowship – an immersive fellowship programme.

The Period Fellowship (TPF) is a paid 24 month leadership journey where Period Fellows are capacitated to scale our District Engagement Model and grow into the future menstrual health leaders.

We believe in de-stigmatising menstrual, sexual, and reproductive health (MH & SRH) in marginalised communities to improve the equitable participation of women* and girls in schools, workplaces, and society. PeriodShala provides access to safe spaces, free MH & SRH education and healthcare, working with women*, girls, and the wider community of men, boys, panchayats, AAAs, and teachers to break the silence and overcome stigma to sustain behaviour change.
In 2022-24, The Period Fellowship will implement PeriodShala, and advocate to create a menstrual health friendly District in some of the most marginalised communities across India. Leveraging a coalition of partners, including the District Administration, community influencers, nonprofits, and existing community-based organisations, Period Fellows will identify and bridge MH gaps including information, products, infrastructure, and healthcare to enable systems change.
Over their 24-month journey, fellows will gain invaluable grassroots experience and a nuanced understanding of behaviour change, gender, reproductive health, sanitation and access to resources in a rural Indian context. The thoughtfully crafted leadership journey nurtures a strong sense of community and purpose within the menstrual health space and prepares Period Fellows to step-up as menstrual health leaders.

Since 2014 to date, we have reached almost 203,540 adult and adolescent menstruators in the marginalized communities across ten states and aim to reach 1.8 million people in rural communities across India and other developing countries by 2027.

The Period Fellows will be placed in one of the four key states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra to build the foundations for our work over the next five years. We fiercely welcome diversity in applicants, regardless of caste, sexuality, age or background. We seek to recruit a diverse, creative and passionate tribe of humans to help make menstruation a non-issue. To learn more check out our FAQs.

*women is inclusive of non-binary and trans people.

Apply for The Period Fellowship 2022-24

Why apply to become a Period Fellow?

  • Over their 24-month journey, fellows will gain invaluable grassroots experience and a nuanced understanding of behaviour change, gender, reproductive health, sanitation and access to resources in a rural Indian context.
  • The thoughtfully crafted leadership journey nurtures a strong sense of community and purpose within the menstrual health space and prepares Period Fellows to step-up as menstrual health leaders.
  • The Fellowship enables and pushes the fellows to move out of their comfort zone through constant and assured learnings on overcoming challenges.
  • Individuals will be introduced to and encouraged to create safe and brave spaces through the journey of Breaking the Silence around Menstruation.
  • The fellowship is an opportunity to experience workshops and training programs on MHH and SRH which are fun filled, activity based and experiential.

What does joining The Period Fellowship involve?

The journey kicks off with a bootcamp where together we discover your unique story, motivation and strengths and build on your skills and mindsets to help you make an impact at the grassroots. The 2022-24 cohort will consist of 18 Period Fellows who will be placed in either rural Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka or Maharashtra based on their location preferences and fluency.

In each region, Period Fellows will work together to:

Establish credibility, trust and a local presence rooted in breaking the silence around menstruation

Design and implement creative campaigns to spread awareness of Hello Saathi and address the critical menstrual and sexual reproductive needs of people in rural communities

Understand the community’s menstrual and sexual reproductive health needs to guide your plan of action and Uninhibited’s long-term strategy
Build and manage strategic partnerships, coalitions (Government and Non-Government) and community relationships to normalise menstruation
Develop leadership, team building, partnership and project management skills that will enable them to step-up as menstrual health leaders

Apply for The Period Fellowship 2022-24

The Period Fellowship 2022-24 commences on August 1, 2022.

FAQs

Applicants must be:

  • Women* applicants only.
  • Applicants must be at least 21 years of age.
  • Commit to The Period Fellowship full-time over 24 months.
  • Willing to relocate to rural regions of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka or Maharashtra.
  • Proficient in speaking Hindi, Bhojpuri, Kannada or Marathi (one of these).
  • Working knowledge of written and spoken English (preferred).
  • Ability to ride a 2-wheeler/have the intention to learn within the first 6 months.
  • Working knowledge of Google Sheets & Slides.
  • Strong communication and facilitation skills.
  • Team player.
  • Proactive and resourceful problem solver.
  • Has a laptop and is able to connect remotely.
  • A graduate degree, preferably 2-3 years of professional experience/field experience/experience working with marginalised communities.
  • A passion for menstrual health & sexual reproductive health / gender equity.
  • Intention to build a career in the menstrual health space.
  • We are looking to recruit a diverse cohort of fellows, celebrating differences in caste, class, religion and sexuality.

    *Women is inclusive of non-binary and trans people

Uninhibited is deepening its impact in rural Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Period Fellows will be placed in teams in their preferred region alongside a full-time Fellowship Manager who will provide mentorship and guidance, support operations, nurture you throughout your leadership journey.

Your journey begins with travel to your preferred rural region where you will join other Period. Fellows and a Fellowship Lead for the next 24-months. Once settled in, the team will engage in a month-long bootcamp led by the Uninhibited core team and key partners where we gain an insight into your unique story, motivation and talents, and work with you to build on a variety of skills that will help you scale our work in the most marginalised communities. Over this time you will become a master of menstrual and sexual reproductive health and become familiar with your diverse cohort selected from all over India.

Your team will be responsible for the implementation of the PeriodShala program, which includes hyperlocal community campaigns to build trust, menstrual, sexual and reproductive health behaviour change modules, and access to our free telemedicine helpline ‘Hello Saathi’. We will be providing a curated leadership journey that develops your leadership capacities and mindsets. You will a part of a movement of creating menstrual health friendly Districts across some of the most marginalised communities in India, leveraging a coalition of partnerships including the District Administration, community influencers, nonprofits, and existing community-based organisations.

 An open-mindset, creativity and resilience are warmly welcomed – fellows are given the flexibility to shape regional operations, with the support of their managers and core Uninhibited team who are enthusiastic to collaborate on new approaches to achieving gender equity.

Yes, of course! Fellows will receive a stipend of 25,000INR per month for the first year, which includes their travel allowance to and from schools, partner organisations and communities. This amount will be increased to 30,000INR in the second year depending on the Fellow’s key performance index.

Uninhibited prides itself on its immersive 24-month leadership journey starting 1 August 2022 and ending 31 August 2024. The cut-off date to apply for this batch is Saturday, 30th April 2022.

Being a member of The Period Fellowship cohort is a transformative experience, where the highs and lows experienced together forges friendships for life. After the whirlwind journey comes to an end, you can look forward to:
• A warm welcome into our spirited tribe.
• Introductions to potential employers based on your areas of interest.
• A select few visionary Period Fellows can apply to become a PeriodPreneur to incubate their own menstrual health start-up.

Providing access to menstrual hygiene products doesn’t necessarily impact how an adolescent menstruator perceives their body, or whether an adult feels worthy to touch food or visit a temple while menstruating. We’re firm believers that ending menstrual stigma through open dialogue between family and community members around menstrual and sexual reproductive health can have a significant impact on the agency of menstruators in the long-term. The more we can normalise periods in households, the greater the potential of menstruators advocating for their needs and reclaiming agency over their bodies.

We encourage you to read through our FAQs in detail, however, if you still have questions unanswered, you’re welcome to email ritika@uninhibited.org.in

Since the first Period Fellowship cohort in 2017, we have been able to capacitate the ecosystem with 31 menstrual health leaders and replicate our model across 10 states, while sustaining a high level of quality and impact.

In 2018, the first Period Fellowship cohort included 16 talented humans placed across Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Karnataka, followed by a cohort of 6 placed in Madhya Pradesh in 2019.

What our Period Fellows have to say

Explore their Journey

Slide Shraddha, 2018 Period Fellow Friends and family thought that I was just doing a job - but it was and is more than that. My journey was a process of learning and unlearning about myself. It helped me uncover the values that guide me, making me surer of myself. It started with becoming a fellow, then a facilitator and finally, a leader. Slide Shweta, 2018 Period Fellow The Period Fellowship nurtured my identity. It wasn’t an easy journey for me, but slowly I started making the impossible, possible - travelling across the hills and building a community of women who are willing to challenge taboos around menstruation. I learnt a lot from my cohort who came from diverse backgrounds. Now when I’m stuck, I reflect on my journey as a Period Fellow and find myself motivated to uncover a path of innovation and creativity. I’m so proud that I’m a Period Fellow and a part of the Sukhibhava community. Slide Richa, 2018 Period Fellow Through my journey as a Period Fellow I learnt about the intersection of gender, systemic oppression and menstruation. The experience changed my outlook towards social work and the development sector Slide Satyam, 2019 Period Fellow & PeriodPreneur The Period Fellowship changed my attitude towards my future and sense of purpose. I learnt the significance of a strong set of values and how they can empower me to do anything and everything

Slide Rehan discovered that his wife menstruated for more than seven days at a time and experienced severe pain and discomfort. Taking Satyam, our Period Fellow’s advice, Rehan arranged a doctor consultation for his wife where she was able to access medication. He never realised how menstruation could have complications and was grateful for the nudge to be more involved with his wife’s health. Rehan (name changed for anonymity) had never thought to speak to his wife about menstruation, however after attending a Sukhibhava session in his community, he initiated the conversation. Slide The pressure from her family and in-laws to fall pregnant led her to feel depressed and ashamed that something may be wrong with her. Poorva (name changed for anonymity) lives in a low-income community and had been receiving treatment from a local hospital for the past four years to help her conceive. She heard about Hello Saheli, our free telehealth helpline, and hoped she might find guidance. She was able to learn about the uterus and fertilisation process through a tele-health consultation, and the doctor advised both her and husband should get a fertility test. The test revealed that the difficulty in conceiving was attributed to her husband but they were relieved to be able to find a solution together. Poorva felt especially grateful she let go of her shame and move forward, hopeful for the future. Slide For the past twenty years, Anita had been removing her pubic hair using a blade that would leave painful cuts on her vagina that bled for two weeks at a time. Anita (named changed for anonymity) is a forty-five year old mother of three living in a low-income community. She applied turmeric each time to try and disinfect her wounds, however this did little to relieve her pain and discomfort. Annapurna, the session facilitator, gently advised Anita to visit a doctor in case of infection and for pain management, while sharing how she can safely and hygienically remove pubic hair to avoid cuts. Anita sought out a doctor and followed Annapurna’s advice - she was relieved to see an immediate improvement. In the final session Anita shared passionately that she will be teaching her daughters correct menstrual health and hygiene practices, so they will never have to suffer like her.
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Sukhibhava Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable trust registered in Bengaluru, India. Reg. No. MLS-4-00014-2016-18.
Registered Address of Sukhibhava Foundation: #288, 1st A cross, RMV 2nd Stage, Nagashettyhalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka- 560095
Gramin Vikas Samiti is a registered society with the Registrar, Firm & Societies Chandigarh, India. Reg. No. HR-018-2012-00121.
Registered address of Gramin Vikas Samiti: 504/1 Bhim Garh, Kheri Part 2, Gurugram, Harayana - 122001
Uninhibited Australia Ltd is a registered company under the Corporations Act 2001 in Victoria, Australia. Australian Company Number (ACN) 647 986 365.

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