PEN

PERIOD Empowerment Network, herein referred to as "PEN" seeks to improve youth knowledge, skills, and attitudes about menstrual health and hygiene, and increase awareness about the body, relationships, sexual practices, sexuality, etc. PEN is a unique and powerful menstruation education project in empowering young people and building their capacities to continuously learn and raise awareness about menstrual health and hygiene and advocate for menstruation education.

PEN contributes to the follow-up of the European Union Gender Action Plan, Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. The EU aims at a world where the rights of girls and women are claimed, valued and respected by all. Further, PEN aims to re-educate our societies about menstruation, re-frame its purpose and allow women to be women without any stigma.

PEN recognizes the crucial role non-formal education, integrated into the European policies in the fields of education, training and youth plays in building peaceful communities, and addressing challenges of social, cultural, economic and political nature, through values and skills in the spirit of tolerance and mutual appreciation among individuals, and cultures. PEN explores such opportunities to equip youth workers with competences and methods for transferring menstrual health and hygiene knowledge, skills and attitudes to youth and thereby, challenge the myths, stigma and taboos around menstruation and periods.