NEW YORK, October 19, 2026: The Global Summit on Paid Period Leave was held at United Nations Plaza in New York, bringing together advocates, academics, legal professionals, filmmakers, and social development experts to discuss menstrual health, paid menstrual leave, and workplace equality.
Organized by RISE, the program also featured a screening of the documentary film Paid Period Leave, directed by Pradeep Nayak. The screening highlighted the importance of raising awareness about menstrual health, addressing social stigma, and encouraging discussions on paid menstrual leave worldwide.
Journalist Mynul Islam, Special Correspondent and news presenter for Channel i and editor of BanglaHour.com, received an award certificate in recognition of his efforts to raise awareness of paid menstrual leave through journalism and news coverage.
Ranjeeta Priyadarshini, founder and global advocate of the Paid Period Leave initiative, emphasized the importance of international awareness and encouraged governments, employers, and institutions to recognize menstrual health as an essential part of women’s well-being. She also highlighted how introducing paid menstrual leave in Bangladesh could be a significant step toward workplace dignity and equality.
Speakers included Emmett Imani, Deputy Director of the UNESCO Center for Peace, Adam Lupel, Executive Director of the Coalition for the UN We Need and Anna Kaplan, an adjunct professor at the City University of New York. Participants discussed the global need for paid menstrual leave and practical approaches to implementing supportive policies.
A featured session, Advancing Paid Period Leave Through Storytelling and Policy Reform, explored how filmmaking, creative communication, and legal frameworks can advance awareness and policy discussions. Speakers included filmmakers Sanya Panda and Damilola Adeyeri, attorney Farhan Aryan, and director, producer, and musician Arturo de las Fuentes. The discussion focused on using storytelling to challenge misconceptions and examining how legal and workplace policies can support meaningful reform.
Following the award presentation, Islam expressed gratitude for the recognition, describing it as an important milestone in his professional career. He emphasized journalism’s role in raising awareness, informing the public, and encouraging meaningful discussions on important social issues.
The summit highlighted the importance of collaboration among journalists, advocates, legal experts, educators, employers, and policymakers to promote menstrual health awareness and explore practical approaches to paid menstrual leave worldwide.
