“Together, we can help #KeepGirlsInSchool.”

Whisper, a leading feminine-care brand from Procter & Gamble, is raising awareness about the early onset of menstruation among young girls with its fifth edition of the #KeepGirlsInSchool (KGIS) movement.

With girls starting their periods as early as eight years old, the need for awareness and education is more vital than ever. Whisper’s initiative aims to address the potential dropout of 26 million girls from school due to inadequate period education and lack of access to sanitary products.

In their new film, Whisper showcases 8-year-old girls who know nothing about menstruation and conjure up the worst possible scenarios as the cause of unexpected bleeding in one of their friends. By doing this, the film seeks to normalize this natural biological change in the body by educating young girls in school about the onset of periods. To add some comfort to the process, the campaign has a fun and catchy new jingle that chants:“periods ka matlab healthy hai aap (periods means you are healthy)”.

“While we expect them to get periods in their early teens, girls are now starting periods as early as 8,” Whisper wrote. “Without period awareness, millions of girls could be at the risk of dropping out of school, that too at an earlier age. Together, we can prevent this. Whisper has been on a continuous mission to provide period education and free pads to girls. Now, we have extended the program to younger girls, across thousands of schools. For every pack of Whisper Ultra you buy (between 15th May to 15th June 2024), we will provide period education and free pads to young girls.”

“Our ongoing research about the changing conversations around menstruatio identified a glaring anomaly – girls today are getting their periods much earlier than before,” said Rajdeepak Das, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe – South Asia and Chairman Leo Burnett – South Asia. “However, they are being educated about periods at a much later stage or oftentimes not at all. Whisper and Leo Burnett have been on a journey to keep girls in school for a long time and we wanted to bridge this gap. Our latest work talks to the 8-year-olds in a language they can understand, with a heartwarming song that teaches them that getting periods means they are healthy. The goal is to not just teach the little girls but also use the song as a tool to equip her ecosystem- parents and educators, enabling them to teach periods in an empowering manner.”

Whisper’s KGIS has taught over 100 million school girls about periods and period products till date – and has now used music to enhance their goal still further. The impact of their much-needed latest campaign in spreading awareness is undeniable, as it has received over 22 million views on YouTube alone till date.