Abstract:  Imagine a world where every woman has a machine at home to make her own sanitary pads. This is my vision.
In this interactive presentation, I will share my journey to empower women globally, especially in Africa. Too often, women’s voices are not heard or understood. I believe that a better world is one where everyone can speak up and be listened to.
Empowering women starts with providing access to education. However, many girls miss out on schooling because they lack basic necessities like sanitary pads and clean water. Without sanitary pads, girls often stay home during their menstrual periods, falling behind in their studies. In many communities, girls also spend hours collecting water for their families, which further disrupts their education.
I will share real stories and examples of how these challenges affect girls’ lives. Together, we can make a difference.
I invite students at Atlas to join me in creating an affordable and effective sanitary pad-making machine. Our goal is to make it as common and essential as a coffee maker in every home. By doing this, we can help girls stay in school and empower women to take charge of their lives.

Bio: Dr. Ajume Wingo, Philosophy Department, CU Boulder, Ajueme Wingo https://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/people/ajume-wingo, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajume_Wingo