Social Justice Speaker Series Presents:
Change The Conversation, Period.
Speakers:
🎤 Melissa Berton, B.A., MFA – Executive Producer, PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE., and founder of The Pad Project
Mediators: Andrew Van Orden & Dr. Kyler Allen, CPA’s Social Justice Committee Members
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025
Time: Film 7:00–7:25 PM | Discussion 7:25–8:00 PM
Location:  Virtual via Zoom (Zoom Link: Emailed with ticket)
Cost:
FREE to attend
FREE CE for CPA Members (Log into account to access discount!)
$15.00 CE Processing Fee for Non-members
Continuing Education: Â Eligible for 1 CE
Abstract:
This presentation explores the social, psychological, and educational implications of menstrual stigma and inequity, as illuminated in the Academy Award–winning documentary Period. End of Sentence. (2019). Through storytelling and reflective analysis, Melissa Berton—educator and founder of The Pad Project—traces a transformational journey from classroom activism to global advocacy. Integrating the acronym T.R.U.S.T.—Trust your truth, Risk leaving your comfort zone, Understand your privilege, Student as Teacher—the talk highlights how intergenerational collaboration fosters empowerment and resilience among adolescents. Drawing upon psychological frameworks of identity formation, self-efficacy, and social justice education, Berton demonstrates how addressing “period poverty” advances gender equity, dismantles shame, and supports holistic well-being. Participants will gain insight into the emotional impact of menstrual stigma, the power of community narrative in reshaping cultural taboos, and the transformative potential of empathy-driven education. Ultimately, the session challenges audiences to view menstruation not as a barrier, but as a catalyst for human flourishing and collective rise.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
1. Analyze and identify at least 2 ways menstrual stigma impacts adolescent psychological development and self-efficacy within educational settings.
2. Discuss at least 1 way the relationship between menstrual equity initiatives and broader social justice frameworks promote gender and health equity.
3. Design and/or adapt at least 2 educational interventions that foster empathy, reduce stigma, and enhance resilience among youth through inclusive dialogue and narrative storytelling.
Research Citations
Berton, M. (Speaker). (2019). Period. End of Sentence. [Film]. Netflix.
Chandra-Mouli, V., Patel, S. V., & Kakuma, R. (2022). Menstrual health as a human rights issue: A review of evidence and opportunities for action. Global Health Action, 15(1), 2035272. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2022.2035272
Hennegan, J., & Sol, L. (2020). Confidence to manage menstruation at home and at school: Findings from a cross-sectional survey of schoolgirls in rural Bangladesh. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 22(2), 146–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2019.1580768
UNESCO. (2023). Menstrual health and hygiene education: Global status report. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Zehtabchi, R., & Berton, M. (Producers). (2022). Long Line of Ladies. [Film]. The New York Times / The Pad Project.
Presenter Biography
The Pad Project
A period should end a sentence, not an education.
The Pad Project is a global nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to menstrual care products, challenging period stigma, and advancing menstrual equity for all. Founded in 2013 by a high school teacher and her students, the organization grew from the Academy Award–winning documentary PERIOD. END OF SENTENCE. into an international movement for change.
Through its threefold approach—Access, Agency, and Advocacy—The Pad Project funds and supports programs that provide menstrual products, create women-led social enterprises, and deliver menstrual health education tailored to local communities. To date, the organization has launched pad machine and washable pad initiatives across multiple countries and developed U.S.-based programs such as Pads for All and Pads for Schools to combat period poverty nationwide.
By partnering with NGOs, schools, and grassroots organizations around the world, The Pad Project continues to empower individuals and communities to achieve dignity, health, and equality through menstrual equity.
Melissa Berton, B.A., MFA
Executive Director & Founder, The Pad Project | Academy Award–Winning Producer | Advocate for Women and Girls
Melissa Berton is an Academy Award–winning producer for Best Documentary Short (2019) for Period. End of Sentence. She is a social activist, speaker, and educator, and the Founder and Executive Director of The Pad Project, a global nonprofit dedicated to the principle that “a period should end a sentence, not a girl’s education.”  Under her leadership, The Pad Project has partnered in fifteen countries to expand access to menstrual health products and education, while fostering youth-led advocacy to end period poverty. In 2021, Berton was named to the inaugural Forbes 50 Over 50: Dreamers & Doers—Women Making Social Impact.
A Los Angeles–based teacher, writer, and speaker, Berton teaches English at Oakwood School in North Hollywood, where The Pad Project began and where she annually leads the largest student delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. In recognition of her human rights work and mobilization of youth advocates to promote menstrual equity, she received the 2019 Eleanor Roosevelt Global Women’s Rights Award and the 2023 Last Girl Award to end human trafficking.
Post-Webinar Evaluation Form:
Post-webinar evaluation form will be provided during the event and must be completed to receive a Continuing Education (CE) certificate.
Closed Captions:Â Live audio captions are accessible for virtual events. If you need additional disability-related accommodations, please contact us by email us at info@connpsych.org or by phone (860) 404-0333. Requests should be made at least two weeks in advance of workshop date.
Refund Policy: Participants may direct questions to CPA by email at info@connpsych.org or by phone at (860) 404-0333. Registrants may cancel and receive a full refund up to two-weeks in advance of workshop date. Â An administrative fee of $30 will be charged for cancellation of registration within two weeks of the workshop date (Social Justice events will not be charged an administrative fee). Please note, no refunds will be granted within 24 hours of workshop date.
Continuing Education Approval:
The Connecticut Psychological Association (CPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to offer continuing education for psychologists. CPA maintains responsibility for the program and its content. CPA will issue certificates of completion. APA CE rules require that we only issue credits to those who attend the entire workshop. Those logging into the Zoom webinar more than 15 minutes late or logging off before the entire workshop is completed will not receive CE credits (i.e., partial CE credit will not be issued).
CPA GRIEVANCE POLICY:
The Connecticut Psychological Association (CPA) is fully committed to conducting all activities in strict conformance with the American Psychological Association’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists. The CPA will comply with all legal and ethical guidelines for non-discrimination in promotional activities, program content, and in the treatment of CE participants.  While the CPA strives to assure fair treatment for all participants and to anticipate problems before they occur, occasionally grievances may be filed. In cases where a participant files a written or oral grievance, the following actions are taken:
If the grievance concerns the content of the workshop, a CPA representative will mediate and will be the final arbitrator. If the participant requests action, the CPA will either provide a credit for a subsequent CE offering or provide a partial or full refund of the CE fee already paid. Â Actions involving a credit or a refund will require a written note documenting the grievance for record-keeping purposes. The aggrieved individual need not sign the note. If the grievance specifically concerns the CPA, the CPA will attempt to arbitrate.
Direct correspondence to: The Connecticut Psychological Association, P.O. Box #1167, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 or by email to executivedirector@connpsych.org.
