Have you imagined a world without social stigmas and constraints on menstruation? Imagine a world where women and girls’ unique experiences push them forward. The Period Fellowship 2024–26 Scholarship encourages you to consider this revolutionary issue as we enable women and girls to overcome taboos and rewrite menstrual health.

A non-profit organisation in India, Uninhibited, aims to eliminate menstrual health stigma for 355 million menstruating women and girls. The organization aims to let women and girls participate in society, education, and jobs without menstruation issues. Uninhibited established The Period Fellowship (TPF), a 24-month leadership programme, to empower people to alter behaviour, address gender dynamics, and promote menstrual health at the grassroots level.

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Objectives

1. Establishing Safe Spaces: TPF focuses on creating safe spaces in marginalized communities, empowering women and girls to overcome menstrual challenges and engage fully in various aspects of life.

2. Transforming Schools: The fellowship is dedicated to transforming public schools into environments supporting adolescents, especially girls, through programs targeting behavioural change and stakeholder engagement.

3. Impact and Reach: Uninhibited’s work aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 5, and 6.2. Since 2016, the organization has positively impacted 350,000 women and girls in 10 states, intending to reach 1.5 million in the next five years.

Core Values

Uninhibited places its core values at the centre of its work, emphasizing empathy, trust, respect, ownership, breaking silences, and scaling with impact. The organization’s culture cultivates a non-judgmental attitude, an environment of radical openness, and is built on the foundations of love.

The Period Fellowship (TPF): Overview

TPF is a paid 24-month leadership journey where Period Fellows work intensively in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka with government bodies at the district level. The fellowship aims to reform public health and school systems, making them adolescent-friendly and inspiring girls to access healthcare for their development.

Why become a Period Fellow?

• Gain invaluable grassroots experience in behaviour change, gender dynamics, reproductive health, sanitation, and resource accessibility in rural India.
• Foster a powerful sense of community and purpose within the menstrual health space, preparing fellows to emerge as leaders in the field.
• Step out of your comfort zone, shatter menstrual quiet, and create safe places for meaningful talks.
• Learn menstrual hygiene and sexual reproductive health via courses and experiential training
• Collaborate with government systems to lead and shape sustainable initiatives in the menstrual health ecosystem.

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Responsibilities & Duties of a Period Fellow

A Period Fellow builds government healthcare worker capacity, leads and sustains impactful menstrual health initiatives within government systems, sensitises and trains healthcare workers to create safe spaces in adolescent clinics, bridges healthcare gaps through the Hello Saathi e-health service, conducts comprehensive WASH infrastructure and healthcare audits, and monitors and evaluates.

Working with Government Department

• Capacity building of government healthcare workers to facilitate menstrual health and hygiene in schools.
• Lead and sustain powerful menstrual health initiatives within government systems while problem-solving for challenges.

Training and Facilitation:

• Sensitize and train government healthcare workers to create safe spaces in adolescent clinics.
• Bridge gaps in healthcare with the Hello Saathi e-health service.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Conduct WASH infrastructure and healthcare audits, monitoring and evaluating the outcomes and impact of the work.

Cohort Building and Leadership Journey:

• Build leadership capacities by reflecting on the fellowship journey and experiences.
• Create a community within the diverse cohort, providing support during the fellowship and fostering safe spaces.

Organization’s Culture:

• Champion Uninhibited’s culture, values, and working norms in the role and concerning other roles in the organization.
• Represent the organization’s work in different spaces.

Competencies and Eligibility Criteria

• Qualification: Graduate studies completed.
• Age: Minimum 25 years of age.
• Location: Willingness to relocate to rural regions of Madhya Pradesh or Karnataka.
• Language Skills: Proficient in Hindi or Kannada, with a working knowledge of English preferred.
• Past Work Experience: 5-7 years of professional or field experience, including 1-2 years with government systems. Please note the experience with government systems is a preference.
• Commitment: Full-time commitment to The Period Fellowship over 24 months.

Required Skill Sets:

• Proficient in Google Suite, familiarity with remote connectivity tools, strong advocacy and communication skills.

Remuneration:

• A monthly stipend of 50,000 INR with an increment in the second year contingent on performance.

Application Process:

• Three stages: Submitting resume and application form, telephonic interview, and selection conference.
• Deadline for submission: January 10th, 2024.
• The selection conference is tentatively scheduled for the last week of February.

FAQs

How to Secure The Period Fellowship: Your Comprehensive Guide

Q1: How can I receive The Period Fellowship?

A1: Three steps are required to apply: résumé and form submission, phone interview, and selection conference. Our website has the application form.

Q2: What factors determine eligibility for The Period Fellowship?

A2: Graduate degree, 25+ years old, ready to go to rural Madhya Pradesh or Karnataka, Hindi or Kannada proficiency, 5-7 years of professional/field experience, including 1-2 years with government systems..

Q3: What commitment is required for The Period Fellowship?

A3: Successful applicants commit to full-time engagement in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka for an extensive 24-month period.

Q4: What skills are crucial for success as a Period Fellow?

A4: Success in the fellowship demands proficiency in Google Suite, familiarity with remote connection technologies, and strong advocacy and communication skills.

Q5: What is the compensation structure for Period Fellows?

A5: Period Fellows receive a monthly stipend of 50,000 INR, with potential performance-based increases in the second year.

Q6: When is the application deadline for the Period Fellowship?

A6: The application date is January 10, 2024. The selection conference may be held the final week of February

Q7: What role do Period Fellows play in showcasing Uninhibited’s mission?

A7: Period Fellows take on a pivotal role as advocates, championing Uninhibited’s ideals and workstyle. Their influence extends to symbolizing the organization’s impactful efforts across various spaces.

Final Note

In conclusion, the Period Fellowship 2024-26 has been an empowering journey. A scholarship asks: How will you help empower every woman and girl? Our collective will to challenge norms, encourage change, and sow the seeds of a more equitable future is the answer to this scholarship’s influence on communities and hearts. This is not the end; it’s an invitation to keep asking questions, finding solutions, and co-creating an empowered society.

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Tanu Bhatnagar

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