A global initiative that supports women and young girls is receiving support from the Foothills.

Susan Kristoferson is a volunteer with Days for Girls, which provides reusable menstruation management kits to women and young girls so they don't have to put their lives on hold when their cycles start.

While menstruation may be considered a "taboo" topic, it prevents many in certain areas from going to school or work.

Kristoferson says when many girls start their cycles in some countries they could be sitting on cardboard, newspaper, or the ground, which could escalate to dangerous situations.

"They're having to trade sexual favours for disposable products with men across the street from school, then they have a disposable product that goes into a pit latrine and there's no decomposing for that product so it's clogging up the latrine and there's no landfill system... or girls were drawing them to use them again just because they wanted to stay in school."

According to Kristoferson, each year a girl is able to stay in school she has a 20 percent greater income potential.

The reusable menstruation management kits that are assembled by hand and distributed worldwide for Days for Girls. (Photo courtesy: Susan Kristoferson)

The reusable menstruation kits are assembled by hand and come in a hand-sewn drawstring bag that's designed to be used as a backpack to also carry school supplies and discreetly hold feminine products. The bag contains two pairs of cotton underwear, a lightweight wash cloth, hotel bar of soap, two panty liners called shields, which are hand-sewn out of cotton, a polyurethane moisture barrier, a double layer flannel pad, and two large Ziploc freezer bags.

The kit is designed to last for three years or 180 days of use.

In 2014 there was 300 Days For Girls groups worldwide with about 100,000 kits distributed and as of January 2016 the amount of groups has doubled to 600 with over 200,000 kits distributed.

Kristoferson says there's a few local satellite groups.

"The Calgary region chapter started about two years ago and has distributed over 2,500 kits. I have a workgroup in my home in Turner Valley, a friend has a work group in Black Diamond, there's a work group starting up in Okotoks, one in High River, and there's one in Langdon."

Kristoferson holds group sessions creating kits on Monday nights in Turner Valley. She can be contacted at (403) 619-6875 or kristudio@xplornet.com.

More information on Days for Girls can be found by clicking here.

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