Eighth-grade student Aryahi Das of Heritage Middle School in Livingston, New Jersey, has joined international campaigner Ranjeeta Priyadarshini to launch Period Friendly New Jersey, an initiative promoting early menstrual health education and working to eliminate stigma and shame surrounding menstruation.
The initiative was launched at the Global Summit on Paid Period Leave, held at UNCC, United Nations Plaza, New York, under the banner of the RISE Foundation (Ranjeeta Initiative for Social Empowerment Foundation).
The summit brought together academics, journalists, legal professionals, filmmakers, social advocates and international leaders to discuss the theme, “Advancing Paid Period Leave Through Storytelling and Policy Reform.”
Aryahi Das collaborated with Ranjeeta Priyadarshini to introduce Period Friendly New Jersey, which aims to encourage age-appropriate menstrual health education, promote open conversations and help create communities where children can grow up free from menstrual stigma.
Speaking about the initiative, Aryahi said, “A period-friendly world starts with understanding, grows through education, and becomes possible through collective action.”
Her participation highlighted the importance of youth leadership and collaboration between generations in raising awareness about menstrual health.
Ranjeeta Priyadarshini's Paid Period Leave campaign began at a United Nations platform in Nairobi, Kenya, and subsequently expanded through Odisha, Karnataka and Bihar in India before reaching the United Nations in New York.
The summit also featured a screening of an English-language documentary about the campaign, directed by Pradeep Nayak.
While the Paid Period Leave campaign advocates for at least one day of paid menstrual leave for women employees when needed, Period Friendly New Jersey focuses on education and awareness among children, families, schools and communities.
Organizers emphasized that menstrual health should be approached as a matter of dignity, understanding and equality rather than shame or discrimination.
Speakers at the summit included Emmett Imani, Deputy Director of the UNESCO Center for Peace; Adam Lupel, Executive Director of the Coalition for the UN We Need; Anna Kaplan, Adjunct Professor at the City University of New York; Mynul Islam, Special Correspondent and Anchor, Channel i; filmmakers Sanya Panda and Damilola Adeyeri; Farhan Aryan, Esq., Attorney and Counsellor at Law; and cinematographer and singer Arturo de las Fuentes.
Discussions focused on dignity in the workplace, evidence-based policymaking, protection against discrimination and the role of storytelling in advancing social change.
Six alumni of the New York Film Academy also announced plans for an English-language feature film inspired by Ranjeeta Priyadarshini's journey and her Paid Period Leave campaign.
Participants identified several priorities for advancing the movement, including developing model workplace policies and legislative recommendations, conducting further research and workplace surveys, engaging governments and national leaders, and establishing safeguards against discrimination based on stereotypes about women's health.
Aryahi Das is an eighth-grade student at Heritage Middle School in Livingston, New Jersey, and a collaborator in Period Friendly New Jersey.
Ranjeeta Priyadarshini is the Founder and Global Campaigner of Paid Period Leave and a Brand Ambassador of the RISE Foundation. She has organized five international conferences and authored a book on women workers and international law that was launched at the House of Lords in the UK Parliament.
The RISE Foundation focuses on education, empowerment, equality, women's rights, menstrual health awareness and inclusive community development.
The launch of Period Friendly New Jersey marks a new effort to bring menstrual health education into community conversations, beginning with young people and extending to families, schools and society at large.