As a teenager in Portland, Ore., Nadya Okamoto remembers speaking with homeless women near her local bus stop about a little-discussed subject.
“I asked them, ‘What’s a challenge that you are dealing with?’ And it was not having access to period products,” she said.
At age 16 she founded PERIOD, a nonprofit organization working to end “period poverty” and stigma through policy advocacy and by directly distributing menstrual products.
Ms. Okamoto became a highly visible leader, posting candid video diaries on TikTok, where she now has over 4 million followers.
She replaced herself as executive director of PERIOD in early 2020, and a wave of criticism on social media pushed her to breaking point.
Persons:
Nadya Okamoto, “, ‘, Okamoto
Organizations:
Harvard
Locations:
Portland ,, Cambridge