#125 The Fight to End Period Poverty (And Why No One’s Talking About It)
What if your period could cost you your education? In this episode of Timeless Teachings, when I sat down with Christine Denning, I wasn’t expecting to be so fired up about menstrual cups — but her story blew me away. Christine is the founder of an NGO tackling period poverty across Africa, and she’s on a mission to replace shame and disposables with dignity and 10-year solutions.
We talk about how she went from growing up in a cold house in upstate New York to working with African leaders, fighting for girls’ access to education, and shaking up outdated laws. She also shares the one product that could change everything — and why hardly anyone’s talking about it!
Table of Contents
Discussion Topics: The Fight to End Period Poverty
- Life Pauses for a Period
- Can We Fix Poverty Without Playing Saviour?
- The Teacher Who Taught Kids to Read. With Mud.
- Why Do Girls Vanish After Primary School?
- The 88-Year-Old Secret to Ending Period Poverty
- Who’s Keeping Menstrual Cups Out of the Conversation?
- Is There Money in Keeping Girls Dependent?
- How $10 Buys 10 Years of Dignity
- Periods Aren’t Just Physical
- “No One Told Me What Was Happening”
- From Shame to Strength: Let’s Rewrite the Story
Our Guest: Christine Garde Denning
Christine Garde Denning is the founder and CEO of CouldYou?, a nonprofit on a mission to end period poverty globally by 2040. With over 30 years of leadership experience across the U.S. and Africa, she created the CouldYou? Cup—an FDA-registered menstrual cup providing a sustainable 10-year solution for women and girls worldwide.
Under Christine’s leadership, CouldYou? has distributed nearly 200,000 cups across 15 countries, helping girls stay in school and reducing unsafe practices linked to lack of menstrual products. Her community-driven approach has earned international recognition, including a 2024 Earth Shot Prize nomination and formal endorsements from African governments.