Period is considered as a strange disease due to a lack of education. “If my mother was with me, maybe I could discuss my problems with her. Maybe she could help me.” , said Samia, a 15-year-old Bangladeshi girl.
There are widespread myths and false information among girls about menstruation being a strange disease or even a curse in Bangladesh. It makes girls feel helpless when facing their first menstruation.

Let’s support Girls Fund and make the world a better place for underprivileged girls!

With your monthly HK$120 donation (only HK$4 daily) to Girls Fund, community programmes can be launched to identify and respond to the barriers girls face. It is only through giving girls equal rights that they can fully develop their potential and live life to the fullest. You may also choose to make one-off donation.

Your donation will be used directly to support the programmes that help Bangladesh and disadvantaged girls in other countries, to improve their lives and health, escape from “period poverty” and “period shaming”.

For every Girls Fund monthly donor will receive a limited edition Thank You pack by Plan International, with sponsor’s gifts of skin cleanser products and tea bags. (Available while stock last)

Donate to Girls Fund for a year, you can help...

• Support girls to get access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, including inclusive toilets and hand washing facilities to safeguard their health and hygiene at all times
• Support girls to get access to menstrual hygiene management facilities and sanitary pads, and also use improved toilets with soap and water, so that they can handle menstrual waste properly at school
• Set up and provide hygiene management training for 48 school management committees and student cabinets
• Set up an adolescent and hygiene corner at schools for girls to take a break, learn about menstruation and get free sanitary products, to educate and raise their awareness on menstruation and girls’ rights

*For monthly donation, first credit card transaction will be made immediately, subsequent transactions will be processed on or around the 15th of each month (starting from next month).

Some countries are affected by stigma and taboos, girls feel humiliated by menstruation. While some countries see first period as a special moment worth celebrating, it's a coming-of-age event for girls.
Let's get to know each of the first menstrual rituals in various countries.

• Japan: when a girl gets her first period, her mother makes a traditional dish called sekihan, a meal consisting of sticky rice and red beans, symbolizing luck and wishes.


• Israel: the ritual dictates that a girl licks a spoonful of honey. The belief is that by doing so, all her future periods will become ‘easier’ to deal with.


• Iceland: when a girl gets her first period, her mother bakes her a cake in all red and white, celebrating her daughter’s new milestone.

• America: mothers celebrate their daughters’ first period by giving her a special gift or dining out together.


• Croatia: girls celebrate their first bleed by drinking a glass of red wine. It’s a custom followed by the older members of the family.


• Brazil: a girl bleeding for the first time becomes breaking news. Every family member and friend, regardless of gender, must be told about the good news, which is seen more as a ritualistic celebration than anything else.

Allocation of donations

Plan International will allocate donations for designated projects in accordance with the donor’s intent. However, when the designated project is fully funded, additional donations will be used where needed most for more efficient use of resources without prior notice.