Press release

UNESCO Joins Whisper®’s mission to #KeepGirlsInSchool to ensure girls don’t miss out on a promising future

The #KeepGirlsInSchool campaign aims at deepening awareness on the unfulfilled dreams of 2.3 crore girls as they drop out of school at the onset of puberty
Whisper® and UNESCO have established a breakthrough partnership to develop and integrate a puberty and period education module in school curriculum
Till date, Whisper® has educated more than 4 crore girls and today pledges to educate another 2.5 crore girls on puberty and menstrual hygiene over the next three years

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17 February 2021

Last update:20 April 2023

New Delhi, 17 February 2021: Whisper®, India’s leading feminine care brand has come together with UNESCO in a breakthrough partnership to raise awareness and educate girls on Menstrual Hygiene Management under its flagship programme #KeepGirlsInSchool. In an effort to help young girls achieve their full potential, the movement begins with shedding light on the impact of 2.3 Crore girls dropping out of school - leading to 2.3 Crore unfulfilled dreams - due to lack of period education and protection.

Studies have shown that even today, 71% of adolescent girls in India remain unaware of menstruation till they get their first period. This affects their confidence and self-esteem adversely, leading to 2.3 crore adolescent girls dropping out of school every year, at the onset of the puberty. Adding to the challenges, as per UNESCO, the global pandemic has impacted 74 crore* schoolgirls, and could severely affect their return to school. Thus, Whisper®️ and UNESCO believe that when supported with education, these young girls are empowered to reach their full potential, achieve their dreams and make a positive difference in the world as strong women.

Last year, Whisper®️ launched the #KeepGirlsInSchool movement, mobilizing support across touchpoints which impacted over 40 Lakh school girls and drove awareness among 2.5 Crore people in India.

To bring to light the struggles of young girls as they reach puberty, Whisper®️ and UNESCO, released a heartwarming film under the #KeepGirlsInSchool movement. The film takes viewers on a journey bringing to life the playful innocence of a schoolgirl with boundless dreams, an open-book imagination, and a spirit brimming with confidence. The film goes on to illustrate how these dreams come to a grinding halt for many girls across the country due to the lack of period education and protection. It further underscores the importance of empowering young girls to achieve their full potential and not let periods get in the way of 2.3 Crore dreams. The campaign seeks to drive a positive change through the collective efforts of multi-stakeholder initiatives and influential voices to ensure that every girl can complete her school education and fulfill her dreams. Urging people to be the agents of change and join the movement by making a mindful choice as every purchase* of Whisper®️ pads helps #KeepGirlsInSchool.

Whisper believes in empowering girls and women to unleash their confidence and ensure that nothing comes in the way of achieving their dreams. With this mission, we continue to challenge the barriers surrounding menstrual hygiene through education and multi-stakeholder engagement to advocate for change. To widen the impact, we are delighted to be joining hands with UNESCO to further our force for female good movement #KeepGirlsInSchool. We strongly believe that we all have a role to play in breaking menstrual stigma and normalizing periods so nothing can come in the way of girls fulfilling their dreams and achieving their full potential.

Chetna Soni, Senior Director & Category Head, P&G Indian Subcontinent, Feminine Care

Chetna further added, “Since the past 30 years Whisper has worked at the grassroots level to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene. We’ve educated more than 4 Crore girls on periods and their hygienic management through our Mother Daughter menstrual hygiene awareness program. We are committed to empowering girls with puberty education and quality protection and pledge to impact another 2.5 Crore girls over the next three years.”

During puberty and the start of menstruation, a girl’s confidence and self-esteem can be affected in many different ways, sometimes even leading to her dropping out of school. UNESCO and Whisper are on a mission to change that. The #KeepGirlsInSchool initiative builds on our strong commitment to ensuring everyone’s fundamental right to education. Investing in girls’ education is an investment for society as a whole.

Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka

Every year not only 2.3 crore girls drop out of school in India because of lack of period education it also means the country loses talented doctors, engineers, teachers or nurses because period comes in the way of their future. Our campaign this year, Whisper Keep Girls in School not only advocates awareness but also encourages everyone to join our efforts and help make a difference in the lives of these girls. Narrated through a poignant story of a girl and how we can help her achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor, we hope that our campaign will mobilize everyone and help us #KeepGirlsInSchool.

Rajdeepak Das, CEO & Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Leo Burnett.

Whisper®️, hand-in-hand with UNESCO, stands strong as a force for female good to improve the lives of young girls and achieve 100% menstrual hygiene adoption in India.

Disclaimer: *1 out of 5 girls drop out of school forever due to lack of period products & education. **For every 1 pack of Whisper®️ Ultra Clean, Ultra Soft Airfresh, Bindazzz Nights sold in the month of 1st Feb- 8th Mar'2021, Whisper®️ will provide menstrual hygiene education and pads to 1 girl. For more details visit https://whisper.co.in/en-in/school-education

Agency – Leo Burnett India

Creative:

Chief Creative Officer: Rajdeepak Das

Executive Creative Director: Sonal Chhajerh

Associate Creative Directors: Prateek Dhas, Dipayan Purkayastha

Art Directors: Twinkle Gandhi, Akshaya Deshpande
Account Management:

Executive Vice President: Maninder Bali

Brand Services Director: Andrea D’Souza

Brand Services Associate: Aparajita Deshpande
Account Planning:

Associate Vice President: Noor Samra

Brand Strategy Director: Anjali Kamat
Production:

Production house: Opticus Inc

Director: Sandya Daisy Sundaram

Executive Producer: Sharan Thomas

Producer: Sanjay Shetty

DOP: Arnab Gayan

About Whisper® India:

Whisper® is the largest feminine care brand in India. Whisper® has a range of variants catering to diverse consumer needs. These are Whisper® Ultra Nights, Whisper® Ultra Clean, Whisper® Ultra Soft, Whisper® Choice Ultra, Whisper® Choice, Whisper® Choice Aloe, Whisper® Maxi Nights, Whisper® Maxi Fit, Whisper® Liners. Whisper® has been using its advertising voice over the years to help shape and build the category, create awareness about hygienic menstruation management, spark conversations, bust myths and break taboos related to periods and menstrual hygiene, acting as a force for good and force for growth. Whisper® is making a difference through its on-ground puberty education program. Over the past three decades Whisper® has educated more than 4 crore girls in India on menstrual hygiene through our Education Program. Whisper® has pledged to reach another 2.5 crore adolescent girls on puberty and menstrual hygiene by 2024. To know more, visit keepgirlsinschoolindia.org

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About UNESCO:

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. In this spirit, it develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and intolerance. UNESCO works so that each child and citizen has access to quality education. By promoting cultural heritage and the equal dignity of all cultures, it strengthens bonds among nations. UNESCO fosters scientific programmes and policies as platforms for development and cooperation. UNESCO stands up for freedom of expression, as a fundamental right and a key condition for democracy and development. Serving as a laboratory of ideas, UNESCO helps countries adopt international standards and manages programmes that foster the free flow of ideas and knowledge sharing.

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