The concept grew from a project that Tina had been working on in Kenya for around a year, with the help of a charity called Maji Safi projects. The project involved setting up sewing workshops with local women, making washable reusable period pads. These pads were then delivered alongside menstrual and reproductive education, to schools in semi-rural areas in and around the coast of Mombasa.
On her return to the UK, in March 2017 Tina was approached by a colleague who worked in a Leeds school, asking for help with girls who were missing school as they did not have access to affordable menstrual protection. Shocked by how widespread the problem of period poverty is in both the UK and other countries, Tina went on to contact a number of product providers, supermarkets and the general public raising awareness of the issue. She conducted a number of media interviews, helping to bring the issue into the spotlight.
In 2017, Freedom4Girls contributed to the breakthrough investigation and research by Plan International, ‘Break the Barriers.’ Through this survey on period poverty, we were provided with shocking statistics on the impact of period poverty for young women and girls.
1. The cost of menstrual products;
2. A lack of education around periods and general menstrual health;
3. Shame, stigma and taboo associated with menstruation.
Together these create the ‘toxic trio’ of period poverty; a definition that Freedom4Girls both subscribe to and base the reasons behind our philosophy, mission and aims and our everyday practice.
Nowadays, we have expanded our provision of product delivery and education programmes both in Leeds and in the different regions of Kenya that we operate with thanks to our on-the-ground partnerships. We educate 10,000 young people yearly (girls and boys), and distribute hundreds of thousands of period products, be they disposable or washable, reusables.
In 2023 Tina was appointed an MBE for her work in period poverty both in the UK and Kenya. Tina was recognised in the Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee Birthday Honours and was invited to the late monarch’s funeral. She received the MBE from the King at Windsor Castle on 14th February 2023
In 2023 Charlotte O’Byrne started up a new branch of Freedom4Girls in Leicester, and we are currently supporting 12 organisations in and around the city. We are very excited about the expansion of Freedom4Girls, and serving even more communities that need us most.
The issue of period poverty has a significant impact on women and girls from all walks of life and Freedom4Girls will continue to work towards promoting menstrual equity at grassroots, local, national and international levels, supporting those who menstruate by challenging the stigmas, taboos and gender inequalities associated with menstruation through education, provision of menstrual health management solutions and actively being at the forefront of the wider campaign against period poverty.
Equally, we focus on the importance of education on the range of different menstrual products that exist and promote the use of re-usable, environmentally friendly products that we create internally and which are also donated to us by our incredible partners.
Creating a world that provides for menstrual equity and a reduction in socio-economic inequality also places us at the forefront of campaigns that highlight the existence of period poverty.
We envisage a world in which no girl or woman suffers from period poverty or stigma associated with their periods. Please help us end worldwide period poverty, together!