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Days For Girls Theory Of Change
At Days For Girls, we’re breaking down barriers and shattering limitations for menstruators across the world – so that every girl, everywhere has the chance to step into her power.
Our mission is to improve educational and livelihood outcomes for women and girls by transforming the global menstrual health landscape. This means innovating, educating, partnering, advocating and supporting locally-led solutions on every level, to create ripples of change.
Now, we’re proud to present this process in our newly-minted Days For Girls Theory Of Change! The DfG Theory of Change is an impact roadmap that illustrates the tangible short- and long-term outcomes of our two main activity streams:
1) Menstrual health solutions and education, and;
2) Policy and advocacy
You can access the full Theory of Change here, or keep reading to learn how our work in these two areas serves our overarching mission – and is shaping a brighter world for menstruators everywhere.
Access to menstrual health solutions and education
At DfG, uplifting women and girls starts with improving access to menstrual health supplies and education. This is the cornerstone of our work; so far, we’ve reached 1.7 million menstruators in 140+ countries with sustainable, affordable solutions and holistic education – and plan to reach 5 million by 2024.
These efforts have tangible effects for the women and girls we serve and their communities, like:
Fostering increased body literacy and confidence
Decreasing shame
Cultivating period-positive community (and community leader) mindsets
Ensuring that menstruators can access the tools they need to manage menstruation – whether it’s through local social enterprises, or our international volunteer base.
As a result, more women and girls have the menstrual health products, knowledge and support they need to stay in school, pursue income-generating opportunities and experience improved upward mobility.
Policy and advocacy
Advocacy work is a key driver of lasting, transformational change. That’s why Days For Girls is constantly mobilizing for better menstrual health policies at the grassroots and global levels, through capacity-building and strategic partnerships across sectors.
In doing so, we’re cultivating a new normal where governments, allies and influencers prioritize menstrual health in national policy plans, recognize its importance in the Sustainable Development Goals and work to amplify menstruation messaging.
This is a critical strategy for shifting the global menstrual health paradigm.
By influencing policy and policymakers in this way, we’re changing global social norms around menstruation – and fostering global recognition of menstrual health as critical to improved livelihood outcomes for women and girls.
Our North Star
Leaders have been using Theory of Change models for decades to answer the question: What do we theorize will change in the world as a result of our work, and how?
But Days for Girls is driven first and foremost by our vision, and that’s what makes our Theory of Change unique. Rather than theorizing the impact of our work, we’re starting with the change we wish to see – and finding ways to make it happen.
Our Days for Girls Theory of Change is outcome-focused, which unites a variety of stakeholders together as we work towards common goals.
“It also allows us to consider a variety of ways of contributing to outcomes…and as we listen to stakeholders on the ground, we can refine our programs and pivot,” says Haley Millet, the Advocacy and Program Manager who co-developed our Theory of Change in 2019 with Social Impact Advisor Jane Reisman and the DfG team.
“It paints a picture of what our North Star looks like, and shows what we’re working towards.”
Days for Girls is pursuing multiple pathways for change: from distributing Kits and rolling out curriculum, to partnering with policymakers and government leaders. And yet, every single thing we do is tailored toward a singular ambition: to improve education and livelihood outcomes for menstruators around the world. This is our guiding light, and will be for years to come.
Because when women and girls are able to thrive, our world grows stronger. Period.
