The Paree Project
"The Fairy Project"
Meet The Founder, Ria Govil
I’m Ria Govil, and I grew up in New Jersey. Spending summers at my grandparents’ home in India, I saw firsthand how period stigma shaped women’s lives—keeping them out of temples, limiting their education, and forcing them to use unsafe alternatives to sanitary products.
When in middle school, I learned that millions of girls drop out of school each year due to a lack of menstrual hygiene products. This wasn’t just a health issue. It was about education and equality. I knew I had to act.
I founded The Paree Project to break the silence, challenge menstrual stigma, and provide women with the resources they deserve. We have hosted workshops for over 1,500 women, organized product drives, and built a sustainable sewing initiative to help women create reusable pads and gain financial independence.
When I’m not working on this project, I love to travel, explore different cuisines, and dance.
Facts
📌 23 million girls in India drop out of school each year due to lack of menstrual products
📌 70% of girls don’t learn about menstruation until their first period
📌 Many women are forced to use cloth rags, newspapers, or even cow dung as period products
📌 Proper menstrual care remains a luxury for millions of women in poverty
Mission
To break menstrual taboos, provide essential resources, education, and sustainable solutions for accessible menstrual care
Approach
✔️ Distribute menstrual products through donation drives
✔️ Educate communities with awareness programs
✔️ Train women to make reusable pads through a 6 month program
✔️ Fundraise for these initiatives via sales of handcrafted silk products on this website & pop-up shops
✔️ Expand impact through collaborators: The Pinkishe Foundation and Kantha by Farah Khan
The impact so far
🌸 500+ sanitary products donated
🌸 1,500+ women educated on menstrual health
🌸 120+ women trained to sew reusable pads
🌸 Community outreach near Noida, India, reducing period shame
Our handcrafted stoles and dupattas are elegantly curated for you. Every purchase helps support our mission.
Our story - Frame by Frame
Click here to participate in the Google Survey and contribute to uncovering myths and taboos
Our World in Numbers
500M
of women globally lack access to menstrual products and facilities
58%
of women are ashamed of menstruating
1 in 5
girls reported having missed school due to not having access to menstrual products
72% of adolescent girls are banished to menstrual huts
Price of tampons increased by 1800% in 2016
1/3 of people under 25 who menstruate struggle to afford products
Cheapest menstrual pads cost 5 Baht each, over 12% of daily minimum wage
70% of girls reported a negative impact on their grades