On 28 May 2025, to mark International Menstrual Hygiene Day, Essity, the global hygiene and health company behind brands such as Bodyform, TENA, Modibodi, and Cushelle, hosted a landmark awareness event in partnership with Kearney. The event highlighted the ongoing menstrual health gap, which leaves 2.8 million people in the UK unable to afford period products.
With speakers including Dame Lesley Regan (women’s health ambassador for England), the event focused on five key building blocks for menstrual equity: affordable access to period products, clean and private sanitation, inclusive education, accessible care, and the normalisation of menstruation. Bringing together leaders from government, civil society, business, and youth advocacy, it aimed to drive coordinated, cross-sector action.
Despite progress, millions of women and girls worldwide still face systemic barriers to managing their periods safely and with dignity. This includes a lack of access to affordable products, clean facilities, inclusive education, and stigma-free environments.
Other key speakers included Núria Antoja (Essity), Julia Schalk (WaterAid), Monica Ferro (United Nations Population Fund), Ishaan Shah (UN Women), Amber Vodegel (my28X), Kim Palmer (Clementine), and Emebet Wuhib-Mutungi (Plan International).
“This event was about uniting to drive systemic change,” said Sahil Tesfu, Essity’s chief strategy & sustainability officer. “Too many women and girls still face barriers to managing their menstruation safely, confidently and without stigma. Corporate brands like Essity have an important role to play in supporting systemic change around women’s health issues through innovation, advocacy, and collaboration. From our brand impact to initiatives like our white paper, A Policy Roadmap for Closing the Menstrual Health Gap, we want to make it easier for governments, employers and communities to take meaningful action.”
Beyond its commercial role, Essity is a recognised leader in menstrual health advocacy, owning a number of globally trusted period care brands, including Libresse, Saba, Nosotras, Bodyform, Nana, Knix and Modibodi. It serves as an associate partner of the World Economic Forum, a member of its Global Alliance for Women’s Health, and a Champion of the UNFPA’s Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business. In the UK alone, Essity donated over 1.2 million period products through its partnership with In Kind Direct in 2024.
The day concluded with a “Period Party” networking session, product giveaways, and a “Courageous Conversation” session for Kearney employees, encouraging open, stigma-free dialogue around menstrual health in the workplace.
To find out more about Essity, visit: https://www.essity.com/
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