Global Menstrual Justice

Irise International is an award-winning, global leader in menstrual justice programming, policy and research.

We understand that individual experiences of menstruation are shaped by intersecting realities such as race, age, gender, socio-economic status, disability, and sexual orientation. These realities also influence the power and access to resources individuals, organizations, and movements hold in driving menstrual justice.

Irise exists to reimagine leadership and drive the equitable redistribution of power and resources within the menstrual movement, fostering the social transformation needed to achieve menstrual justice for all.

Our Strategy

What is Menstrual Justice?

Menstrual justice is a rights-based, intersectional approach that seeks to:

Dismantle systemic barriers
Challenge discriminatory social constructs
Address structural inequities

related to menstruation

Read our latest report

There can be no gender equality without menstrual justice

Irise believes menstrual justice should be at the heart of health and gender equity interventions

Hear Our Call

A Youth-Led Menstrual Movement

Young people are a powerful force for social change. Young activists are leading the fight for menstrual justice—but they’re too often under-resourced and unsupported.

We amplify the power of youth-led activism by fostering collaboration and peer learning. Our mission is simple: equip young people with the tools, resources, and networks they need to drive the social transformation needed to realise menstrual justice for all.

How we do ensure our work responds directly to what young people want and need?

Equipping Grassroots Action in the Global South

Grassroots action is driving menstrual justice around the world, yet these efforts are often overlooked and underfunded.

We amplify and resource grassroots-led menstrual justice efforts in the global south, and advocate for others to do the same.

Hear Our Call

We are Accountable

We collaborated with our community, including our youth-board, the Empower Period Committee, to think about the kind of organisation Irise wants to be, and developed an Accountability Framework to make sure we are always reflecting on how we are doing.

“I came to Irise after falling very unwell after a brain tumour diagnosis. I really wanted to do period activism because my symptoms were hormone-based and warning signs were changes in my periods. Irise went above and beyond to be inclusive as a disabled young person, and also support the vision I had as a youth activist: to help girls stay in school, know about their bodies and be informed, so no one ends up in the position I was in."

Molly Fenton, Love Your Period

We are serious about high impact work.

Irise International received the Power Together Award from the Global Women Political Leaders Forum in 2019 in recognition of our contibution to building a global movement to end period poverty and shame.

We were named as one of the most effective organisations working to end period poverty and shame in the world in a 2020 report by Founder’s Pledge and The Kulczyk Foundation.

We were shortlisted for a UK Charity Governance Award in 2020 for our approach to Diversity and Inclusion and received a special mention for covid-19 response at UK The Charity Awards 2021.

Our sister organisation, Irise Institute East Africa has been formally recognised by the Ugandan Ministry of Education for their contributions to ending period poverty and shame in Uganda.