Adopting Toms’ One-For-One Model, BeGirl Underwear Is Designed To Change Girls’ Lives

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The majority of us are familiar with philanthropic show brand Toms’ and their one-for-one model where, for every pair of shoes bought by someone in the developed world, one will be given free of charge to a person in need in the developing world. It is an idea that has revolutionized the way for-profit businesses use their corporate power to be involved in social reform, and one that is being adopted by many others, including underwear brand BeGirl.

BeGirl Panties are quite different from Toms, however, and their focus is solely to help girls in Latin America and Africa continue their education. The stigma they are trying to tackle is related to menstruation. In many parts of the world, menstruation is considered dirty, shameful and can essentially relegate a woman from participating in public life. It affects how many days of school a girl misses and it can force women to stay home and not work in public.

In addition to these problems, there are women who are forced to use rudimentary and even dangerous products during menstruation. Situations like this can force some women and girls to be trapped in an endless cycle of poverty if they don’t have the tools they need to carry on with life as normal, while having their period.

The idea behind the BeGirl brand is to take an ordinary item and give it an extraordinary purpose. Diana Sierra is the brains behind this project, and co-founded the company. In a video on their Kickstarter campaign page (which is already fully funded) her fellow co-founder Pablo Freund says there are 250 million girls in developing countries lack access to affordable and safe menstrual products.

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Instead of contributing to the growing pile-up of materials that harm the environment (regular tampons and sanitary pads), BeGirl panties are designed with a special pocket in the crotch area, made out of leak-proof cloth, so that any absorbent material can be placed inside the pouch. The underwear can be re-used multiple times and the absorbent material disposed of safely.

“We’re not talking about rocket ships, we’re talking about panties. But they both have the same impact on girls: they take you places,” says Diana in her campaign video.

The panties have already been tested by 3000 girls in a dozen different countries, and they know it works. So they have been raising money to mass produce and get it out to the rest of the world to help even more women and girls.

“There are so many challenges a girl faces in her journey to womanhood. Managing her menstruation shouldn’t be one of them,” concludes Diana.

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The brand hopes to have all initial production completed ready to ship for the first time in March 2016. With the Kickstarter campaign being fully funded only a few days after it was launched, it is clear this amazing product is going to go far, and help girls in need do the same.

It is not the first product on the market that is solving a major social taboo for women around the world. Sanitary product brand Sheva designed a business model that allows women in the Western world to purchase an item for that time of the month, and money from the sale goes toward providing the same type of product to a woman in Guatemala.

Of course the most incredible and outrageous story comes from India where a man by the name of Arunachalam Muruganantham risked divorce, social shame and ridicule all because he wanted to help women in his community have safe and easy access to menstrual products that would allow them to continue being part of public life. He is more commonly referred to as ‘Menstrual Man’ and since his story has been shared around the world, he has given a Ted Talk about his project and inspired many more people to take action to help those around them.

To learn more about BeGirl, their mission, how you can support them and how to buy a pair of panties which come in a range of colors and designs, visit the website, and watch the video below:


 

 

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