According to the World Bank, it is estimated that 500 million women lack access to menstrual products across the world. In every country, too many women and girls experience having little or no access to appropriate, affordable period products and Zareen Roohi Ahmed is on a mission to ensure this number falls for good.
An entrepreneur and philanthropist, holding a PhD in multiculturalism and specialising in women’s rights, Zareen is the founder of Gift Wellness, a trailblazing social enterprise which boasts an award-winning range of natural toiletries that have not only received accolades but catalysed a movement against period poverty. She is also the founder and Chair of The Halimah Trust which works in some of the poorest parts of the world providing education and vital aid.
Zareen’s new book, The Gift is her tale of overwhelming resilience, determination and purpose and the life-changing impact she has had on many. After tragically losing her daughter Halimah in 2007, instead of succumbing to the pain, Zareen channelled her grief into action, established a charity in Halimah’s honour and dedicated herself to helping women and girls around the world.
Throughout The Gift, Zareen outlines how she made her purpose a reality, sharing her vision for tackling period poverty, one of the most pervasive issues affecting women and girls worldwide, and revolutionising the fem-care industry with accessible, safe and sustainable period products. She explores the creation of her unique range of toiletries, from establishing Gift Wellness as a business to researching the product formula and distributing period products to displaced women and women in crisis through the Gift Wellness Foundation.
The Gift is also a tender and moving account of Zareen’s commitment to continuing Halimah’s legacy – a passion for Third World Development, social enterprise and education. Establishing The Halimah Trust in her name, Zareen writes about the process of setting up The Halimah School of Excellence and Halimah College in Pakistan which provides education for 1000 girls aged four to eighteen, plus the ongoing impact the charity has on communities there.
The book goes on to cover how Zareen champions women’s voices and needs on a range of topics, including battling workplace stigma around menstrual health and her innovative new app to ensure those who need it can always access period products.
A story of undeniable strength, impressive innovation, and overwhelming heart, The Gift is an inspiring and thought-provoking story of how one woman transformed personal loss into an entrepreneurial journey that has touched the lives of many across the globe.
The Gift is published by Rethink Press and available on Amazon.
