Ajume Wingo, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Colorado, Boulder, founded the non-profit company PridePads to help women in Cameroon combat gender issues.

Several years ago, Professor Wingo, originally from Cameroon, Africa, was struck by barriers facing young women in Cameroon on issues related to menstruation. According to his website, in addition to social ostracization and lack of education surrounding menstruation:

On average, rural schoolgirls miss four to six days of school every month while menstruating, which contributes to gender inequality, child marriage and teenage pregnancy.

Recognizing this issue, Professor Wingo started researching ways to create biodegradable and affordable pads with the goal of creating a company that could provide them to young women, as well as provide both menstrual hygiene education and economic empowerment. In 2019, the company PridePads Africa, Inc. was formed. According to their mission statement:

PridePads Africa produces biodegradable, earth friendly and affordable sanitary pads for girls and women in rural Cameroon as well as providing menstrual health education, sensitization and de-stigmatization campaigns surrounding menstruation. Pads are produced locally by and for women, creating livelihood, empowerment, and entrepreneurial economic opportunities for ordinary Cameroonian girls and women.

You can learn more about PridePads, including their mission and history, here. If you would like to make a donation or purchase merchandise to help PridePads, you can do so here and here, respectively.

Do you know of other philosophers doing work outside of academia to make the world a better place? Let us know in the comments section.