Post Your Pad for IWD 2026 | World Vision UK

Girls and women across the world face period poverty every day

Over 500 million women and girls lack access to clean water, safe sanitation or the menstrual products they need to manage their periods with dignity.

This crisis affects their health, their confidence and even their ability to stay in school. You can do something to change this.

Join World Vision between International Women's Day (8 March) and Mother's Day (15 March) by crafting reusable period pads.

By taking part, you'll raise awareness of the crisis and show support for everyone experiencing period poverty around the world.

These reusable pads are simple to make and a powerful way to raise your voice for others. When you've made one, post a picture on social media using the hashtag #PostYourPad and tag us.

We’ll provide you with the tools to join us.

If you run a community group, a school/college group, a crafting group or are an influencer with an audience to mobilise - contact us via sam.bishop@worldvision.org.uk

How to take part

Get crafting!

Use our step-by-step guide to make a reusable period pad.

Post Your Pad

Share your pad on social media to inspire others and raise awareness.

Tag us

Use #Postyourpad and Tag @worldvisionuk to help spread the message even further.

Step by Step Guide

Printable Template

Period Poverty discussion sheet

Why your support matters

By getting involved in the Post Your Pad campaign, you’re standing with girls everywhere who face the challenges of period poverty.

This can mean:

No access to clean water for washing, hygiene and managing periods safely
Not being able to afford or access period products, such as pads
No safe or private place to change at school
Stigma around periods in the community
High number of girls dropping out of school
Frequent school absences
Embarrassment or lack of confidence during menstruation.

With your support, we can help improve girls’ access to education, provide safe and sanitary bathrooms, and increase their confidence when they have their periods.

Period time can be stressful, being unsure whether you have messed up your skirt, worsened by the fear of boys laughing at you.

Glory

13-years-old, from Tanzania

Spread the word

Crafters

Crafting groups can join together and use World Vision's guides to create reusable, sustainable pads, taking on a new challenge for a good cause.

A lady sits at a sewing machine in Uganda

Individuals

From men to women, girls to boys, everyone can get involved at home with a few simple crafting materials, showing their support and posting their pads.

Schools

Children of all ages can join together to make these pads and learn about the issues that affect girls in the UK and abroad.

Children pose for a selfie in Sierra Leone

Influencers

Anyone with a social platform can raise awareness of World Vision's campaign, sharing our work and how we help girls dealing with period poverty worldwide.

FAQs

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the achievements of women. Often abbreviated to IWD, the day has grown since its inception and now sees significant activity worldwide, sparking debates, rallies, campaigns, celebrations and more. As well as celebrating the achievements of women and girls around the world, the day is also an important reminder of the work that is still yet to be done in pursuit of achieving gender equality.

The IWD 2026 Give To Gain Campaign encourages a mindset of generosity and collaboration.Give To Gain emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. When people, organisations, and communities give generously, opportunities and support for women increase.
Women and girls living in poverty face more obstacles simply because they were born female. World Vision intentionally focuses on women and girls in every aspect of our work, as we know that when everyone gains equal access and opportunity, children are better cared for, families are stronger, and communities are more prosperous.

Improving water and sanitation in communities is also a major focus. World Vision is the leading non-governmental provider of clean water in the developing world, reaching someone every 10 seconds with clean water.

Through our community-led child sponsorship programmes we ensure toilets that are private for girls, period products and handwashing facilities in schools – keep girls safe and give them dignity during their periods, helping them stay in school longer and more likely to finish their education.
Helping girls to build a future for themselves, their family and community.
Supporting girls is at the heart of what World Vision does, and this includes addressing period poverty too.

Through our Child Sponsorship programmes, girls and boys are taught to make reusable pads, and clean, safe toilets are installed in schools. We work to make sure that stigma and myths surrounding periods are dispelled too, and all of this means that the rate of absenteeism among girls is reduced and more girls can attend and graduate from school.
Activist Amika George has provided World Vision with a guide, detailing the materials needed and demonstrating what to do.
Let us know! Post on socials with the phrase 'Post Your Pad' to show your support for our campaign, and for girls experiencing period poverty globally.
The 'Post Your Pad' campaign is for awareness and solidarity, so we aren't accepting donations right now, but if you would like to help out in a different way we would encourage you to look into sponsoring a girl or donating a sanitary kit to a girl in need.