How an Austin teen is working to destigmatize periods, expand product access

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Not many teenagers can say they're part of a business startup team. But that's the case for 16-year-old Anaya Balaji, a junior at Anderson High School who's helping raise awareness surrounding period product access.

Three years ago, Balaji first started working with August, a period care brand centered around sustainability and accessibility. Balaji first got started with the company when she reached out to its co-founder, Nadya Okamoto, for a school project she was working on centered around period poverty.

"She really loved my interest in a topic that isn't widely spoken about, especially by younger generations," Balaji said. "She loved my youth and perspective and she was really looking to create a Gen Z founding team."

Now, she serves as August's advocates lead and content creator, where she helps empower other teens and champion them to encourage greater period care access in local schools.

Its namesake translates to dignity and refinement — words Balaji said should be synonymous with periods.

Part of Balaji's work is starting those open dialogues with family, friends and classmates to help normalize and destigmatize the topic. Lately, she's also working with fellow Austin ISD students and district administrators on how to improve period care access.

"We want to break the period stigma. We want to expand our sphere of influence," she said. "And we want to get people talking -- and when they think of all this, I want them to think of a company that got everyone thinking and talking to make the change."

While Austin ISD currently offers menstrual care products in its facilities, Balaji said the quality of those products can be improved.

"It doesn't function very well as menstrual care. It's itchy, it's scratchy, it's not comfortable, and it doesn't stick well," Balaji said.

Instead, Balaji showed off August's period products — which are thinner and have better absorbency so students don't bleed through their clothes. Her focus as of late has been collaborating with other Austin-area students on statistics and pricing plans they can provide to their campus leaders in an effort to encourage leadership to switch over products.

"Being able to have those resources in the bathroom, not even at the nurse's office, is so helpful," she said. "Because making that trip from the bathroom to the nurse's office — you don't have that time sometimes."

As Balaji has expanded her work with August, she said she's noticed growth in her own confidence — something she hopes other teens can experience and replicate.

"Being a part of that community gave me the confidence to talk about [periods] and talk openly. And not only just talk about that specifically, but talk openly about everything, and talk with confidence," she said. "In class, I raise my hand now consistently, or I don't feel scared to share my opinion. And I feel like, that's just being a part of a company that really taught me and built my confidence."

More details on August and its products are available online.