Who we are

Who
we are

Our aim

In the next 5 years, we aim to distribute 50,000 cups to those who need them, want them, and cannot afford them.

 

How we drive change

When distributing menstrual cups, we provide training on how to use them, and on reproductive health. Following the distribution of menstrual cups, we gather evidence to evaluate the impact of our work. We use the latest research in menstrual health to ensure our practices are up to date.

An African woman in a head scarf smiling
An African woman in a head scarf smiling

Why invest?

Icon with women's empowerment

Empowerment

Menstrual cups improve quality of life and freedom of movement, providing 30-40 additional freedom days to a menstruating person each year.

In some places, such as Kenya, girls exchange sex for pads, risking unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. Menstrual cup distribution and education can eradicate this risk.

Icon with dollar sign

Economic

Cups save each individual up to £4000 in their lifetime and 50,000 cups will save over £2 million for those most in need.

Collectively, 50,000 cups will allow 1.8 million more days in which individuals can safely and comfortably contribute to school and the workforce.

Icon with leaves in the middle

Help the planet

Menstrual cups have less than 1.5% environmental impact than a single-use tampon or pad, supporting our mission for a sustainable future.

Using menstrual cups over a lifetime saves the equivalent of 11,000 pads/tampons per person from being added to landfill, polluting oceans, blocking sewers, these take up to 500 years to biodegrade.

By 2025, we are aiming to distribute 50,000 menstrual cups globally

Meet our team

Our structure

The Menstrual Cup Coalition is supported by MannionDaniels, a global health and social development consultancy and fund manager based in the UK. Due to the nature of our work and research, our network is spread across the world and so we field all enquiries via our contact page to ensure the relevant team member contacts you directly.

Follow us

The Menstrual Cup Coalition

The Menstrual Cup Coalition is fundraising to work with Coalition organisations to implement innovative cup projects. Any organisation or company may ask to join the Menstrual Cup Coalition if they work in menstrual health and their work includes menstrual cups, in research, manufacturing, education, communication, distribution, design, advocacy, campaigning, projects, programmes or other work relevant to menstrual cups and menstrual cup interventions.

Liverpool school of tropical medicine logo
Femme International logo
Dorcas International logo

Based and working in Malawi.

Activities: International non-government organisation implementing programmes. Training and information with students, parents and community leaders. Distribution of menstrual cups to schoolgirls and mothers. Follow- up and monitoring of menstrual cup usage.

Based in Italy.

AmyCup menstrual cups are produced and distributed by Athena Holding Srl an Italian company: currently the AmyCup In&Out, the AmyCup Crystal, and the new AmyCup Vitality. Athena Holding donates menstrual cups too small communities in Africa, Asia, and South America. Athena is also working with governments to improve the awareness of menstrual cups.

Based and works in: India and the UK.

Asan is a social venture with a mission to eradicate period poverty. Working with engineers at the Harvard Innovation Lab, Asan developed an innovative menstrual cup that is extremely easy to insert and remove. For every cup sold, Asan donates one for free to a woman or girl in rural India who cannot afford period care. They work in Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi, and specialise in training women and girls from villages and urban slums on how to use the cup. They have distributed more than 10,000 Asan cups across India (including in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh) and have a 90% adoption rate for their menstrual cup.

Based in U.S works in Burkina Faso.

BARKA’s menstrual health programme developed out of its WASH-in-Schools programs. Since 2017 we have sensitized 6,500 girls in seven schools in Fada N’Gourma, Burkina Faso on issues of menstrual health. We are planning to distribute menstrual cups to 10,000 women and girls in Ouagadougou, partnering with The Ministry of Women.

Based in Barcelona and working in Nepal.

The Rato Baltin Project aims to eradicate ‘chhaupadi’ which exiles women during menstruation.  Working with community health workers, teachers, political leaders, and local NGOs, for girls, boys, women, and their communities since 2016. We think that education is the only way to change these deeply held beliefs. With participative photography, we invite them to speak about their menstruation, and we speak of a healthy and environmentally friendly solution: the menstrual cup. We have distributed more than 2,000 menstrual cups, a metal bucket, and training to girls in remote villages.

Our goal is to destigmatize menstruation as a normal biological function and reduce the prevalence of chhaupadi. This empowers girls and women with the confidence to attend school and be active in public spaces.

Based and working in Cameroon.

A women and youth registered charity focusing on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls through advocacy. We work in Menstrual health, Sexual reproductive health and rights, sustainable agriculture, environmental education, and water and sanitation. We promote volunteerism linking it to sustainable development goals.

Based in the U.S, works globally.

Activities: Casco Bay Molding is an ISO-certified and FDA-registered menstrual cup manufacturer in Maine USA. We work with brands around the world to produce medical-grade silicone menstrual cups, whether our partners are seeking design assistance or want to white-label cups from our existing designs. Casco Bay Molding is dedicated to health, quality, and comfort.

Based in Uppsala, Sweden. Working in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, Liberia, and Egypt.

Activities: Sponsor of the Menstrual Cup Summit and working with sexual and reproductive health and rights through local partners in Tanzania where menstrual health management is an important component. The focus is on adolescents, education, rural, urban, and capacity building.

Partners in Tanzania –  Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania; Christian Council of Tanzania; and Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service.

CAHED Kenya was founded in Homa Bay, Western Kenya.

CAHED Kenya work with vulnerable groups in Homa Bay to help mobilize and raise resources to support their rights and wellbeing. They aim to ensure each person has the opportunity to reach their potential and to live in a secure environment without discrimination. CAHED have two menstrual health and hygiene management programmes. Activities include addressing barriers that girls face to stay in school such as menstrual health, poverty, climate change, teen pregnancy and marriage. They work to bring together thousands of girls voices and challenge social norms regarding menstrual health.

We are a US (NYC/San Diego) 501c3 working across Africa with a focus in Mozambique, Ghana, Liberia, Uganda, and South Africa.

CouldYou? is a proven non-profit in the menstrual health/hygiene space in developing countries providing menstrual health education and distribution of the CouldYou? menstrual cups to vulnerable girls in Africa; in rural and peri-urban communities. Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are central to CouldYou?’s approach to results-based management. We have built long-term relationships with local communities, NGOs, and the Ministries of Health, Education and Gender. Our work in girls and women empowerment has directly benefitted +50,000 women/girls with a focus in Mozambique, Ghana, and Liberia. In 2019 we provided menstrual health education and a CouldYou? menstrual cup to 16,000 vulnerable girls in Africa. Solving the issue of period poverty is not just a matter of providing a product. CouldYou? is committed to normalizing menstruation and breaking stigmas and taboos, so when we distribute the cup we accompany the distribution with educational workshops for both boys and girls about the menstrual cups, menstruation, SRHR, consent, etc. We also work with celebrity ambassadors to encourage girls to try the cup. We’ve produced a music video, a comic book, and a Public Service Announcement. We also hire marginalized women to make our cotton carrying bags; giving them an opportunity to set up a small business.

Registered charity based in England, the UK. Working in Malawi.

Activities: Developing new initiatives with starter menstrual cup projects among vulnerable communities. Advocacy at workshops and conferences.

Based and working in Ghana.

The ‘GIRL Project’ (Ghana Improved Rights to Learning) provides menstrual health education and services around menstrual cups.  Activities include engaging with chiefs, elders, queen mothers, religious leaders, and Assembly persons in Ghana to sensitize and involve them with menstrual cups. When distributing cups, they also give money-boxes so that cup users can see how much money they are saving.

Based in Tanzania. Working in Kenya and Tanzania.

Activities: Community-based approach of distribution of menstrual cups; and education and conversations to tackle myths and taboos.

Based in Malmo, Sweden. Working in Europe, Namibia, South Africa, Sweden, Guinea Bissau, and India.

Activities: Marketing Flowcups with a ‘Buy One, Give One’ model and distributing free cups through non-government organisations.

Based and working in: UK and Kenya

Activities: Freedom4Girls is a period poverty charity set up in 2016, and has been working tirelessly since to help menstruators in the UK and Kenya. We deliver disposable period products across the UK, and in Kenya we work with local seamstresses to produce reusable period packs that can be used by a girl for up to 5 years.

Based in Sweden, activities in The Gambia.

10 menstrual cup trainers hand out free menstrual cups and comprehensive education to schoolgirls and boys in The Gambia.

Based and working in Kisumu, Kenya.

Activities: Menstrual cup training, distribution, and support to disadvantaged adolescent girls and women.

Based in the U.S., works globally. 

Activities: Iris Group is engaged in a number of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) activities globally. Currently through the USAID-funded Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Partnerships for Learning and Sustainability (WASHPaLS) #2 project, Iris Group is implementing the “Women’s Health in the Workplace” (Maryadit Karyasthal #2) activity in Nepal, which aims to provide a platform for sustainable delivery of integrated MHH and sexual reproductive health services in the workplace. Also through the WASHPaLS #2 project, Iris Group is supporting USAID to develop its MHH Action Plan to best institutionalize MHH across the agency and inform its global investments.

In 2022, Iris Group completed action research activities in Nepal and Kenya to understand the costs and benefits of improving MHH in formal workplaces in these settings. Iris Group offers participatory training and learning opportunities in MHH through its custom developed curriculum.

Based in the UK, working in Kenya.

Activities: LSTM is a higher education institution dedicated to education, training, research and programme support, with academics trained across broad disciplines including clinical, biological, social and behavioural sciences, statistics, epidemiology, health systems, laboratory sciences, entomology, vector-borne diseases, and public health. LSTM supports research and programme activities in countries across the globe. Dr Penelope Phillips-Howard leads a team researching menstrual health and cups in Kenya.

Lunette Menstrual Cups are produced by Finnish company Lune Group working Worldwide.

Activities: Lunette team has a strong vision of giving a comfortable, healthy, zero-waste solution for menstruation and breaking the menstrual taboos worldwide.

Based in Lilongwe, Malawi. Working throughout Malawi.

Activities: Conducted first successful feasibility study of menstrual cups with training, distribution, and follow-up in 2016. Girl Guides and leaders trained in the use and training of cups, work in rural and urban areas, with partners The Cup Effect, Central African Wilderness Safaris, SafeHands for Mothers, and World Menstrual Network.

Based in and working in: Durban, South Africa.

Activities: MatCH Research Unit (MRU), is a Research Unit of the Wits Health Consortium (Pty) Ltd in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand. They conduct behavioural, operations, and clinical research, with communities and local structures. They provide technical assistance for the Department of Health and other NGOs to affect policy change and enhance best practice. They work with diverse partners, collaborators, and donors, including local and international universities and research centres. Their research on the use of menstrual cups among sex workers, and learners, found them acceptable.

Based in Ouagadougou / Burkina Faso.

We are dedicated to end period taboos. We focus on innovative and safe products that are less expensive and better for comfort, health, and the environment. We provide menstrual health advice and training to bring more confidence to girls and women. We are starting our commercial activities with a range of menstrual cups.

Based in Berlin, Germany, and London, the UK.

Working globally.

Activities: Menstrual health (MH) community global ecosystem building, knowledge-sharing around MH research, education, policy and innovation, advocacy at local, national, and international levels, strategic consulting and advising from a human rights-based and women-centered design approach across the female health lifecycle.

Based in London, the UK. Working in US, UK, and Australia.

Activities: Global online English language resources. The promotion of menstrual cups as the best menstrual management option available, especially in regard to mental and physical health. A cup can encourage body positivity by allowing users to get to know and appreciate their ‘tabooed’ reproductive anatomy; help users to understand the process of menstruation better.

Based in Ghana.

The Nkosuo Initiative is committed to girl empowerment and ending period poverty in Ghana. Their overarching objective is the socioeconomic empowerment of vulnerable groups in Ghana. They are currently working with the Ghana Education Service within the LEKMA Municipality (mainly indigenous communities) to reduce teenage pregnancy and girl school dropout through menstrual health education campaigns and distributing free menstrual cups and reusable sanitary pads. They are relentless in their efforts to ensure dignity, respect for human rights, and the well-being of the urban poor and disadvantaged groups. Their volunteers are empowered to contribute to the attainment of project objectives.

Based and working in Ethiopia.

Produce and sell Menstrual Cups while providing  ‘Every Queen Bleeds’ – Menstrual Health workshops and seminars.

Based in Kingston, the UK.

Activities: Stocks a range of high-quality eco-friendly menstrual products, including menstrual cups shipped worldwide (excluding Mexico). Video blogs give information about the use and choice of cups.

Bryony Farmer of Precious Stars explains the differences between brands, materials, design of cups, and experiences using a cup as a young woman.

Based in Australia, working in Malawi, Timor-Leste, Fiji, and India.

We create socially beneficial products and services that are tailored to solving issues in local communities. Affordable, effective, sustainable, and consistently available solutions to real-world problems.

Based in Pakistan, working in Pakistan.

Recircle sells menstrual cups in Pakistan, mainly through its online platform and some retail outlets in three cities of Pakistan. They also have launched the “Help a Sister” initiative that allows you to gift cups to women who do not have access to safe and hygienic menstrual products.

Based in India.

Activities: The Red Padding Project is a youth-run nonprofit working to develop an intersectional and gender-inclusive understanding of menstruation and promoting sustainable period practices amongst underprivileged communities in India. We work with communities whose unique period experiences may be generalized or ignored such as disabled menstruators, sex workers, refugees.

The three pillars of our team are education, advocacy, and research. We conduct fieldwork sessions with communities to get a sense of their concerns with regard to menstruation and gaps in knowledge. Depending on the composition of the community, we then design a menstrual health awareness session / workshop on sustainable period products. Should a community want to adopt a sustainable period product, we procure the product and distribute it to them (only if we have used the product ourselves) and assist them for the next few months in making a sustainable switch!

Buckingham, UK working in Malawi.

Environment, education, health, and reproductive health projects in rural Malawi – including distributing & training 100 menstrual cups with women and boarding school girls.

Based in the UK. Working in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Benin, and Nepal.

Activities: Through a ‘Buy One Give One’ model and partnerships with non-government organisations, Ruby Cups and education are given to girls and women in vulnerable communities.

Based in London, in the UK. Worked in 20 countries including Nepal, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.

Activities: Quality documentary videos about menstrual and reproductive health including Malawi promoting menstrual cups. Partners include Malawi Girl Guides Association, UNICEF, World Health Organisation, Comic Relief, UNFPA, Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, IPPF, and World Menstrual Network.

Based and work from Delhi, India.

Activities: Product innovation start-up company selling affordable, quality Sirona menstrual cups, also chemical-free chafing cream, ‘pee-buddy’, herbal period pain-relief patches, and breast milk pads. ‘Down with Pads, to Done with Pads’.

Based and working in: South Africa.

Activities: Feminine Hygiene Company that supports sustainable Menstrual Care, gaining African acclaim as a leader.

A collective effort breaking barriers, saving the environment for the packaging and material waste of more than 2400 pads or tampons per user. Securing access to basic education for girls in the poorest countries and a stark reminder of the millions of girls who are being left behind.

Based in Devon, in the UK, working in Malawi.

Activities: Promoting education and alleviating poverty in Kasungu District, Malawi. We have built classrooms, provided solar lights, mosquito nets, and reusable menstrual pads. Now distributing menstrual cups, with local trainers and cleaning pots made in the market. Partners with Malawi Girl Guides Association, Ruby Cups, and World Menstrual Network.

Charity based in the UK, working in Zimbabwe.

Activities: The Beatrice Project is helping teenage girls in rural Zimbabwe stay in education by providing menstrual products including menstrual cups, giving girls a choice. This is supported by education on menstruation, sexual health, and relationships. The project is run by local community leaders in collaboration with the schools where the distributions take place, and is supported from the UK.

Based in Harare, Zimbabwe and working in Zimbabwe and UK.

Activities: Provide menstrual cups and period underwear to women and girls in Zimbabwe through partnering with NGOs, direct sales, and through the Menstrual Health Specialists Trust of Zimbabwe. Also provides education and training on menstrual health and how to use the Butterfly Cup and Viva Lily pants.

Based in Stockholm. Working in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, India, Nepal, Colombia, Mozambique, Pakistan, USA, Germany, Sweden, and Worldwide.

Activities: Access to products and choice. Education. Distribution channels.

Based in Sydney, Australia, and working in Liberia, Malawi, Uganda, and Ghana.

The Cova Project distributes menstrual cups and menstrual health education to girls and women in developing communities. We work closely with local partners to reach girls who live without access to safe menstrual care and suffer financial distress. We believe in access, education, and dignity for all women.

Based in Kenya and working in Nairobi, Kenya.

Activities: Training underprivileged girls in Kenya with menstrual cups and comprehensive sexual education, challenging taboos and human rights with boys, teachers, informal leaders, and parents.

Based in London, the UK. Working with organisations in Malawi, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Norway, Canada and the UK.

Activities: Consultancy services to NGOs and funders reviewing their menstrual health provision to use menstrual cups. This includes advice, capacity building, training of trainers, curriculum development, programme planning, implementation, co-design, and strategy development. The Cup Effect also leads and takes part in global menstrual health advocacy initiatives, with a focus on challenging misconceptions about menstrual cups and promoting informed choice.

Based and working in: Kenya.

Activities: We sell and promote menstrual cups and cloth pads. We also train both boys and girls on matters of menstruation. We consult with organizations on the topic as well. We use social media – Instagram and Twitter – to reduce the stigma about periods.

Based in Los Angeles, CA, USA. We work primarily in the LA area but also distribute cups and information to other parts of the US and the world.

TheFlow provides bilingual (Spanish/English) education about reusable menstrual products in and around Los Angeles and donates menstrual cups to low-income women and girls here and elsewhere. Our mission is to spread the word about reusable menstrual products and to get them to women and girls who need them. We work on breaking the stigma around periods, strive for a 2030 where everyone has heard of a menstrual cup, and know that together we can help women and girls live fairer, healthier, and greener lives.

Based in India and Singapore, works across South Asia.

TruCup aims to provide innovative, sustainable menstrual products, while ensuring urban/rural menstruators are aware of their rights and choices through honest communication, conversation, and contemplation. Our BeTru (The Red Understanding) program aims to educate and influence mindset toward positive menstruation in low-income communities. The program provides them with in-depth knowledge, tools, and processes for menstrual management and top-of-the-line menstrual products at a subsidised cost. By introducing a new design of menstrual cup, TruCup provides access and a sustainable choice of product to menstruators. We aim to educate 50,000 menstruators, achieve 10,000 Cup-verts, and create 1000 entrepreneurs in the next 3 years through providing subsidised menstrual products and leadership & menstruation workshops/partners.

Based in England, in the UK, and working in Malawi.

We provide free menstrual cups and instructions in Malawi, through work, school, village, and church groups. Each female is given her cup in an organic cotton bag, with a set of instructions in Chichewa, a bar of antibacterial soap in beeswax wrap; and a recycled food tin for boiling the cup. We follow up 2-3 months later to answer questions.

Based in the USA, working in Kenya.

Activities: Study to assess the impact of menstrual cups compared to routine menstrual hygiene management practices on the vaginal microbiome, Bacterial vaginosis, and sexually transmitted infections among schoolgirls in western Kenya. In partnership with Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, Kenya, and the National Institutes of Health.

Based and working in Kenya.

Activities: Organise conservation and educational outdoor camps for youth about well-being, leadership, health, and environmental sustainability.  Distribute menstrual cups collaborating with partners who focus on gender-based violence and health; and work with environmental conservation partners such as Poriscape Safaris and Mara Expeditions.

Based in Toronto, Canada. Working in Uganda, Kenya, and Canada.

Activities: Trialing new menstrual cups among rural, urban, and refugees; with schoolgirls and adult women. Partner with Grand Challenges Canada, WSSCC, CanWaCH, Ontario Council of International Cooperation, Canadian Society for International Health, and LVCT Health Kenya. Managing a project supported by UNFPA Innovation to develop a dual menstrual cup and cervical contraceptive cap with the first phase in Uganda, in collaboration with War Child Canada, WoMena, and Public Health Ambassadors Uganda. Menstrual Cups and other period management products are being introduced as per UNFPA requirements, namely, the reusable menstrual pad developed by Days for Girls.

Based in Denmark and Uganda. Working in Uganda, Denmark, Kenya, and South Sudan.

Activities: An NGO implementing innovative, evidence-based reproductive health solutions with informal education, introducing menstrual cups (and sometimes reusable pads) to girls and women in low-resource settings.  Have worked in over 100 sites, including schools, refugee settlements, and other vulnerable populations. We develop and implement strategic plans in partnership with local and international partners and technical experts, to scale up interventions.

Based in the UK. Working in Malawi, Kenya, Nepal, and Worldwide.

Activities: Connects and informs organisations working in menstrual health, anywhere in the world, especially in East and Southern Africa. WoMeN also advises INGOs and governments on menstrual cup project implementation, educational materials, and training. Advocacy on menstrual cups through media, workshops, and conferences.

Based in Uganda. 

Activities: Youth and Women Opportunities Uganda (YWOU) is a charitable Uganda organization supporting the poorest women and youth in Soroti and Serere districts.

Based in Kenya, working in Nairobi and Kilifi.

Activities: Menstrual education activities with rural and urban, girls and women. Partnering with Women’s Global Health Innovations on trialing menstrual cups. Publishes girls’ health magazine, Nia Teen.

How we drive change

Close up of a woman holding a menstrual cup
Close up of a woman holding a menstrual cup

Distributing menstrual cups

Being 100% reusable, a single menstrual cup can provide women and girls with a safe, cost effective and on-going solution to their menstrual cycle. Since 2010, we’ve distributed 20,000 menstrual cups to schools, communities and initiatives globally through our partner network.

More about the menstrual cup >

Woman in front of a chalkboard teaching a class
Woman in front of a chalkboard teaching a class

Education

When distributing menstrual cups, we provide training on how to use them, and more broadly on reproductive health. Unlike reusable cups, single-use menstrual products are expensive and in some places such as Kenya, girls exchange sex for pads, risking unwanted pregnancy and STIs, including HIV. Menstrual cup distribution and education can eradicate this risk.

Read case study >

A woman holding a menstrual cup
A woman holding a menstrual cup

Monitoring and research

Following the distribution of menstrual cups, we gather evidence to make sure our work and education is as impactful as possible. In addition, our team and network use the latest research in menstrual health and global issues to ensure our practices are kept relevant and industry leading.

See research studies >