Vivi Lin was given this award at the HundrED Innovation Summit, an international conference celebrating the achievements of impactful and scalable education innovators from around the world. Her innovation, Unlock the Power of Understanding: 50/100 Menstrual ED, was selected for the 2024 Global Collection.
In her award acceptance speech, Vivi explains that her first period was the reason why she became a menstrual activist. Like many others who menstruate, Vivi encountered a sense of shame and embarrassment around menstruation. This phenomenon is present worldwide - there is a deficit of menstrual education across generations which has led to severe tragedies. In a heartbreaking incident earlier in 2023, a 14-year-old girl in Mumbai was tragically killed by her brother, mistaking her first period as evidence of an affair.
In Taiwan, despite rapid progress in education about gender identities and sexual orientation, menstrual education has stagnated. The With Red team discovered that only 1 in 9 schools in Taiwan’s second-largest city provided some form of menstrual education. The ones that did often provided this education separately by birth-assigned sex.
Since founding the organisation only four years ago, With Red has recreated the menstrual education curriculum, making it inclusive and accessible. They have published resources, trained educators and caregivers, and influenced educational policies. To date, they have reached over 300,000 students, educators, and parents. More than 100 schools have now adopted their curriculum, and nationwide adoption is underway.
As Vivi Lin blazes the trail towards more gender-responsive education, HundrED recognises and celebrates her efforts and achievements.
