(An ongoing series highlighting individual INUUC social justice activities, this one about Georgette Thornton.)
For women around the world, including Afghan refugee women in Spokane, receiving sustainable Days for Girls (DfG) kits makes a huge difference in their ability to manage their menstrual periods. Georgette Thornton knows this first hand because she works with Atia Iqbal, cultural navigator for Refugee & Immigrant Connections Spokane (RICS), to distribute these kits in the Spokane area. Many of these Afghan women immigrants came from rural areas, where it was difficult or impossible to obtain disposable menstrual supplies from local markets. Therefore, they were forced to create pads from whatever absorbing materials they could find.
Georgette’s involvement with Days for Girls began in 2019 when Ann-Scott Ettinger had gathered a group of UUCS women who were interested in making Days for Girls kits, which provide a “safe, beautiful and washable solution for managing menstruation.” It was agreed that Georgette would formalize a team within the congregation. As part of this, she submitted samples of Gold Standard components to “sewing specialists” at the national headquarters to be certified as a team leader. She also gathered once a month with the Spokane Valley DfG team to assist in their production.
By then fully committed to the mission of Days for Girls, she applied for and accepted the position of Inland Northwest Regional Representative for Days for Girls International. From January 2020 until April 2023, she served as the guiding liaison for 55 Chapters and Teams in Oregon and Washington, overseeing sewing standards and assisting with international and local distributions.
Georgette continues to meet monthly with the Spokane Valley DfG team at the LDS Church to sew kits and have lunch together. Over the past few months, she and Atia have also met with small groups of women to expand on the women’s health training which is presented in all international distributions.
After viewing the Soul Weaving service of September 24, and gaining more information from the RCIS presentation, she hopes to work with RCIS to expand the distribution of kits in the Spokane Area