SWARA PATEL
INDIA & UNITED STATES, 18
Project: The Period Society
Basic Human Needs: Education, Environment, Health
Despite being an otherwise progressive household in Mumbai, India, even Swara’s family could barely discuss the topic when she got her first period. Not only was the menstrual taboo real and pervasive in India, but “period poverty” was just as prevalent. In May 2019 Swara officially founded The Period Society – a nonprofit organization promoting menstrual equity, combatting the taboo surrounding menstrual, sexual and reproductive health, and eradicating period poverty throughout India and the world. The Period Society trains youth in rural India to lead educational sessions with OB/GYNvetted modules and distributes sustainable, eco-friendly period products to reduce the billions of kilograms of plastic waste from disposable pads. They have educated 25,000+ individuals worldwide, distributed eco-friendly period products to 15,000+ women in India, and replaced 700,000 plastic pads with sustainable alternatives. They have been recognized for their work by numerous organizations: 2019 Act2Impact initiative from Worldview and Harvard University's International Relations Council, the 2020 General Motors and Ashoka Global Stem for Change making Challenge, and the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Institute. The Period Society now has 20 youth-led chapters and 4 global initiatives across 5 countries, and will expand modules and training to address domestic violence and safe sex, and work on policy campaigns to combat systemic barriers to sex education and reproductive health in a holistic, gender inclusive way. Swara hopes to see a future world where all people have agency surrounding their sexual health.