Hello! My name is Amrit Dhamija, and I founded Amu4her because I remember being 11 years old and getting my first period. I vividly remember all the girls being secretly taken to a room during P.E. class to be taught what periods were. After the lesson, I felt embarrassed because it was clear the staff was trying to keep this talk confidential from the boys with their hushed whispers. A few months later, my mother showed me how to use a pad since I got my period. I felt normal and seen since I had someone who had experienced this before helping me. However, when the time came to change my pad in the bathroom the next day at school, I felt a sense of embarrassment engulf me. What should have been completely normal, a girl changing her pad in a bathroom full of girls experiencing the very same thing, felt like something wrong. From then on, I tried my best to open my pads as quietly as possible in public bathrooms. I hope by normalizing periods, no young girl ill ever have to open their pads in shame or fear of judgement again.

Hi! My name is Sri Snigdha Akella and I’m the Community Outreach Director for Amu4her because of I remember being a 10 year old, finally enjoying her summer, and then suddenly getting my first period. My mom had given me “the talk” prior to this, but it was still so confusing and so jarring to me. My mom helped me and explained it all to me once again, but one part stuck out like sore thumb: “don’t tell your father.” I was only 10, and my parents were my entire world–my father included. And all of a sudden, I was being asked to hide this huge, scary thing from him every single month. Thankfully, I have the immense privilege of having a father who didn’t see it as a something I need to hide from him. However, my mother was raised to hide it from the men in her lives, and millions of other girls are taught the exact same thing. It is a major stain on the human race that they shame a process that is responsible for allowing life to be created. And even more so that there are millions of girls out there without the necessary resources to take care of themselves while on their period. I hope that one day, we as a society can come to a point where women aren’t shamed into suffering in silence.