UNESCO Joins Whisper(R)’s mission to #KeepGirlsInSchool

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.

To bring to light the struggles of young girls as they reach puberty, Whisper®ï¸ 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®ï¸ pads helps #KeepGirlsInSchool 

Studies have shown that even today, 71% of adolescent girls in India remain unaware of menstruation till they get their first period. 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®ï¸ 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®ï¸ 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.

Sharing her thoughts on the movement, Chetna Soni, Senior Director & Category Head, P&G Indian Subcontinent, Feminine Care, said, “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. Our latest campaign under #KeepGirlsInSchool seeks to drive awareness around the impact of girls dropping out of school so nothing can come in the way of girls fulfilling their dreams and achieving their full potential. We believe we all have a role to play to widen the impact. We are joining hands with expert organization- UNESCO, along with our own action as well as that of consumers to make a change”

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.”

Emphasizing UNESCO’s commitment to right to Education, Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, said, “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.”

Speaking about the campaign Rajdeepak Das, CEO & Chief Creative Officer – South Asia, Leo Burnett, said “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.”

Whisper®ï¸, 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®ï¸ Ultra Clean, Ultra Soft Airfresh, Bindazzz Nights sold in the month of 1st Feb- 8th Mar'2021, Whisper®ï¸ 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