Vira Reflects: How can we make the world more period-friendly?
Imagine missing school every month - not because you're sick, but because no one ever taught you that your period was normal and health. For millions of women in Thailand, and around the world, that's not a hypothetical. It's life. The good news? A quiet revolution is finally underway.
In honor of today, May 28 2026, being Global Menstrual Hygiene Day, we asked some of Thailand's leading women's health activists who are already rewriting the rules. Here's what they had to say…
"Period products should be freely available in schools, so no girl has to experience stress, shame, or missed opportunities during the first years of menstruation. Making period products visible and accessible not only helps reduce period poverty, but also normalizes conversations around periods because periods are natural, not a choice, and period products are necessities, not luxury items"
- Rung Satchatippavarn, Founder of Ira Concept
"We make the world more period-friendly when we stop treating periods as something to hide and start advocating for menstrual health as a basic human right. Every girl deserves the knowledge and resources to navigate her period with dignity and confidence so she can fully thrive every day of the month; through education, sport and opportunities"
- Cindy Bishop, Co-Founder of Period Power
“We start by treating periods the same way we treat other normal bodily functions, not something to be ashamed of, but a basic health need that deserves proper care”
- Taresa Bhongsatiern (Ink)
"Respect periods, and everyone can live without shame"
- Hnin Hnin
"Period-friendly world starts with building sex education-friendly communities. Proper sex education leads to self-respect, body awareness, and understanding of ourselves and others"
- Thitipon Tungwiwattanapanit (Dr. Teen)
"A period-friendly world honors our natural cycles without shame or waste. To me, cloth pads are a gentle way toward healing both our bodies and the planet"
- Kesinee Jirawanidchakorn (Kay)
"A more period-friendly world starts when people can ask for a pad without whispering and talk about periods as naturally as any other health issue. When periods are met with understanding instead of shame, people no longer have to carry embarrassment alongside their pain"
- Thae Ei
"When boys and men understand periods, they are more likely to show empathy, reduce stigma, and support menstrual health and hygiene in schools, workplaces, families, and communities"
- Laura
