Always and Walmart in collaboration with America’s Promise Alliance – the nation’s largest organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people – launched their latest Live #LikeAGirl program to help girls grow in confidence and reach their full potential. A recent Always Confidence & Puberty Survey revealed that nearly one in five U.S. girls miss school because they do not have access to the period products they need. But it’s not just school they miss, it also means they miss out on activities they love, which can ultimately have a huge impact on their overall confidence. The program will provide girls’ teams across all 50 states with a year’s worth of pads to help them stay in the extracurricular activities that are crucial to their mental and emotional development.

The program was kicked off in Florida, where Always and Walmart recently worked with a local martial arts studio that serves girls in need. 

Always understands that puberty can be a difficult and confusing time when girls’ confidence may plummet, with the onset of menstruation marking the lowest moment for many girls. This decrease in confidence is so much worse for girls that lack access to period protection, which is often referred to as “period poverty.” Period poverty can force her to miss out on important confidence-building experiences in the classroom or in after-school activities. These activities should be something to look forward to, and not something a girl loses out on because she doesn’t have access to period products. Missing out on things like this can limit her from reaching her full potential during puberty and beyond.

“We’re so excited to help ensure that fewer girls miss the extracurricular activities they enjoy most due to lack of access to period products,” says Marty Vanderstelt, North America Always brand director. “We know that this is a crucial life stage for young women and, with the support of Walmart, we want to help them have every opportunity to continue to grow and become whoever they want to be.”

The program is a continuation of Always’ #EndPeriodPoverty program that launched nationally in August last year. Now, with the support of Walmart, Always is donating a year’s worth of period products to 50 girls’ teams in need across the 50 states. The #EndPeriodPoverty campaign has also worked in close collaboration with America’s Promise Alliance, which has leveraged its network of non-profit organizations, government organizations, and businesses to help identify and connect the campaign with the 50 teams of participating girls across the country. Leaders from each team will be coached by top medical and confidence experts to help better prepare them to support girls’ needs at this stage in life.