Since its inception, The Dignified Girl Project (DGP) has helped more than 1,000 girls and women, distributed more than 20,000 units of menstrual products, distributed more than 1,500 units of undergarments, and established 20 distribution partners.

DGP was founded by Phillipa Dean in August 2017 after its founder encountered an unemployed single mother who was distraught because she was unable to regularly provide her teen daughter's basic hygiene needs. Dean knew she had to make a difference in the mother's life and the lives of other mothers and daughters with a similar plight.

The organization's mission: to ensure that every child and adolescent female has access to essential hygiene products, and education to be empowered to make informed decisions regarding their social, psychological, biological, and economic well-being, and in turn make meaningful contributions to society.

Six years later, DGP and Dean, who also serves as executive director, continues to provide, without discrimination, free menstrual kits inclusive of pads, panty liners and soap, along with undergarment kits of new singlets, bras and underwear to young women and girls.

During strained financial times, they say financial needs are secondary to food and shelter. And that lack of affordability and information have led girls to use one disposable pad for multiple days, or alternatives like rags, socks, newspaper or toilet tissue. Lack of menstrual hygiene can lead to health risks such as Toxic Shock Syndrome, infections, and cervical cancer, which can become a public health issue.

Some girls are missing school because they cannot afford tampons or pads. Menstruation and the inability to afford products to accommodate it, or shame about experiencing it, should not lead to an interruption in something as critical as education.

DGP menstrual kits include 16 pads or tampons, and one bar of soap per cycle.

Undergarment kits include two bras or singlets, and three pairs of underwear.

Sustainable menstruation education they say introduces girls to more sustainable options to managing their period hygiene with the menstrual cup or reusable pad. Girls are also taught how to make their own reusable pad.

The "My Period My Pride" seminar", which started in 2019, is DGP's annual seminar through which it aims to promote menstrual equity, educate, and empower girls by equipping them with the knowledge and tools to access resources, and understand and manage their period hygiene. They recognize that if a girl learns to manage her period, and has access to period products, that she can regularly attend school. Educated girls they say are more likely to be employed and employed girls are more likely to contribute to the economy.

After her encounter with the distraught mother, Dean made a promise to herself that she would do something about it, and formed DGP to ensure that young women received new bras and panties.

Dean sought to provide undergarments, quarterly, which are basic needs, to girls in need between the ages of six and 17.

She spent just over $1,000 of her own money to purchase intimate garments for her first distribution ranging from training bras and singlets to extra-small, small, medium, large, extra-large and 2X to cover the gamut of sizes.

It was in August 2017 that she and her team of volunteers took to streets in the East Street community with 100 bags of bras and panties to distribute, free of charge, to girls for the first time.

She told The Nassau Guardian earlier that when they did that initial walkabout, they thought 90 bags was a lot, but quickly realized their supply would not go very far, especially when they came upon homes where there were more than five women and girls living there.

It was during that first distribution that they quickly realized just how great the need was - and that more than just new undergarments were needed.

Dean said it became apparent that basic hygiene products — toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, sanitary products — were also needed. She and her team decided to take on the challenge of adding feminine care products to the original packages.

"Oftentimes, we think about the shelter and the food and the water and the clothing that we put on children, but we rarely think about the intimates. They're basic needs. And they need new ones regularly — not just when it's September, and it's time for school. So, I was like, this is a basic need, and no mother should have to shed tears over this, and no young girl should have to be concerned that when she's changing [for physical education], that someone's laughing at her torn bra," she told The Nassau Guardian. "I made a promise that night in that session that I would do something about it, and form an organization that would make sure that young women had new bras and new panties. And once we did our first distribution and got feedback, we realized that more was needed. We got bombarded. I was shocked. The response is what kind of confirmed for me that the need was great."

In January 2018, DGP held its second distribution. It was at that point that Dean engaged the assistance of church groups, community groups and civic organizations who knew of people in their communities, who needed the assistance most, rather than engage in another walkabout, as she also realized the danger a walkabout could pose to a team comprised of women.

DGP has also introduced its program to north, central and South Eleuthera, and expanded distribution efforts to Mangrove Cay, Andros.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is also recognized to make menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030 as millions of women and girls worldwide are stigmatized, excluded and discriminated against simply because they menstruate.

It is the belief that it's not acceptable that because of a natural bodily function, women and girls continue to be prevented from getting an education, earning an income, and fully and equally participating in everyday life.

Menstrual Hygiene Day is about breaking the taboo and ending the stigma surrounding menstruation; raising awareness about the challenges regarding access to menstrual products; education about menstruation and period-friendly sanitation facilities; and mobilizing the funding required for action at scale.

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