Students Support The Pad Project

March 3, 2021

In Kathryn Fetterly's Women's Studies class, Allie Sowatzka '22 watched the Netflix documentary "Period. End of Sentence," which focuses on women in India fighting the stigma against menstruation and manufacturing sanitary pads. 

"Before watching the documentary, I was totally unaware of the stigma surrounding menstruation in so many countries," Sowatzka said. "Girls just like the ones at our school lack the pads or tampons we take for granted. Without the proper resources, these women faced constant health problems that stand in the way of not only their daily life, but their education too."

The documentary also focused on the nonprofit The Pad Project, which places pad machines in low-income communities worldwide, and implements reusable cloth pad-making programs. Sowatzka and Julianne Mason '22 were immediately inspired to pitch the nonprofit as the recipient of future out-of-uniform sticker sales. 

Their suggestion was approved, and a sticker sale was held at the end of January raising $1261 for the organization. The money will go directly towards supporting menstrual hygiene needs worldwide.

"I saw almost the entire student body show up to support the cause!It warmed my heart beyond belief to see the gratitude we received from the Pad Project organization and I’m so happy our school could be involved in such a beautiful mission," Sowatzka said.