In 2011 our founder and CEO, Emily, was doing research with school children in East Africa to identify reasons why they were missing school. Periods came up again and again but at the time there was nothing to help girls overcome this challenge. Irise was founded to create a world where no girl was held back by something as simple, and fundamental as her period. We have rapidly grown from a group of young women in the UK and Uganda with no connections or funding into an international NGO with 16 staff across two continents, reaching over 100,000 girls and working with governments, academics and communities to realise our vision. In 2019 we received the Power Together Award from the Global Women Political Leaders Forum in recognition of our contribution to building a global movement to end period poverty and shame. We dedicated it to our grassroots network of advocates whose passion and perseverance are building a better world for everyone.
Our name is take from the famous Maya Angelou poem “Still I Rise”. Empowerment is at the heart of everything we do.
Read about the sustainable, transformative impact of your investment on the lives of young people and their communities
Department for Education Overview Whilst we applaud the decision to extend the period product scheme in Engl...
Our Annual Report for 2022 is now available to read here. The annual report from our sister organisation, Iris...
After a decade of service, our founding CEO, Emily Wilson, is moving on to new adventures and it is time for t...
Irise was started in response to a Kenyan schoolgirl, given a chance to tell stakeholders what she wanted and ...
We’re looking for new partners to join our Empower Period South Yorkshire Programme. Partners receive:...
In July I attended the Women Deliver conference in Rwanda with colleagues from Irise Institute East Africa and...
On the 28th May, hundreds of young activist and period campaigners took to the streets of Westminster to raise...
To realise period dignity in schools, Irise International has brought together young activists across the UK t...
Are you passionate about period equality? Are you unhappy with the slow progress toward period dignity for all...
On 16th October 22 we brought together young people and their allies to plan their next big campaign for Perio...
From our Period Positive schools programme keeping girls in class in Uganda to our Empower Period initiative ...
We welcome and applaud the explicit acknowledgement of the reality that the UK’s health and care system has ...
To celebrate Menstrual Health Day (28th May) Irise International launched the Empower Period Awards 2022. The ...
This Menstrual Health Day, Irise International is excited to launch the Empower Period Awards 2022. The Awards...
New research finds lack of support for periods creates mental burden for women and limits their participation ...
In recent years global progress towards gender equality has stalled- the interaction between the female body a...
Irise is thrilled to be named as one of the most effective menstrual health organisations in the world in a ne...
As part of our Day of the Girl celebrations, we spoke to Ugandan gender equality activists Joan (19) and Clare...
This week, the Irise Advocacy Network have launched our new initiative, #TheHelpingHand People up and down the...
We’re thrilled to have been part of a ground-breaking piece of work led by Dr Julie Hennegan at John Hopkins...
"Being able to support Irise has not only empowered myself and people that attend our events but also allowed me to help tackle a crises that can not simply be ignored.”
"Irise is the first community I have been a part of where I have felt completely open talking about periods; the supportive culture has provided me with an important safe space to break down my own internalised menstrual stigma."
"I'm working with Irise to fight the stigma and taboo around periods because if people were more open to talking about periods when I was at school I wouldn't have been so worried! ”
"I did not want to be with my friends, I would sit alone, but since Irise came and taught us, I feel free, I be with my friends”
"After learning and understanding menstruation with Irise, all I wanted to do was to let people know that it is something to be proud of not to be ashamed."