Period Power Project: Empowering Girls and Boys to Break the Silence Around Menstruation

Written by Alimatu Koroma

Media Matters for Women (MMW) has launched a new cycle of its Period Power Project (PPP), running from October 2025 to March 2026, reaching schools across Bombali, Kenema, and the Western Area Rural Districts.

Through this six-month initiative, MMW continues its mission to promote menstrual health, dignity, and gender equality in schools. The project has provided 31 schools with sewing kits to produce reusable sanitary pads, along with training manuals on menstrual hygiene management, sanitation, and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

In addition to practical skills, the project integrates media and education to transform attitudes. MMW’s journalists will produce and broadcast podcasts that amplify young voices and conversations on menstrual hygiene, SRHR, and harmful traditional practices. A midwife will also visit participating schools to conduct health talks, offering guidance and breaking down taboos around menstruation.

The project further introduces Pad Banks in schools, safe, supportive spaces where girls can access menstrual products and feel confident attending school during their periods. Importantly, boys are also engaged in these sessions to foster understanding, empathy, and respect, encouraging them to become allies in promoting menstrual equity.

The 2025/26 cycle of the Period Power Project builds on MMW’s commitment to ensuring that no girl misses school because of her period, and that both boys and girls grow up in communities that value dignity, equality, and mutual support.

“When girls have the knowledge, resources, and support they need, they thrive — and when boys understand and stand with them, communities become stronger.”