ACTIVIST, CHANGEMAKER, ENTREPRENEUR
I am an 18-year-old menstrual justice activist and youth voices advocate from Thailand, who is driven to destroy taboos and break the silence.
ORGANIZATIONS
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THE UNION INTERNATIONAL
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
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The Union International (theunioninternational.com) is Thailand's 1st Interscholastic Student Newspaper, joined by 140 bold staffers representing 50 schools and 25 nationalities, with writers based in 11 countries worldwide.
The Union is shining light on taboos, encouraging meaningful discourse,
and shaping the next generation of socially-responsible journalists.
The Union's advisory board consists of award-winning journalists, including the winner of the International Press Freedom Award, winner of the Courage in Journalism Award, winners of The United Nations' Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship, and journalists from CNN and the BBC.
More on The Union on the newspaper's About Us page.
H.E.R. (Health. Equity. Respect.)
Founder & President
HER (herperioddignity.co) is a non-profit organization providing sustainable period products, hygiene education, healthcare, and employment for women and girls.
HER develops low-cost menstrual pads made from upcycled sugarcane bagasse, a highly-absorbent sugar industry waste byproduct.
Through partnerships with 20+ NGOs and fundraising efforts led by student ambassadors from 15 schools, HER is distributing pads to women across 5 countries: Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Bangladesh, USA.
HER has distributed over 10,000 reusable and sugarcane fiber pads to women.
Some of Our Partners:
HER Sugarcane Fiber Pads Approved by:
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Registration Number: 13-1-6500027969
Learn more about our partners: herperioddignity.co/our-partner
Connect with @herperioddignity on Instagram
Seribelle
Founder
Seribelle (seribelle.com) is a social enterprise producing organic skincare products based on sericin, a natural protein found in silk cocoons, including a face wash, serum, moisturizer, and exfoliant scrubs.
Seribelle's fair-trade social enterprise model supports local Thai silk farmers and helps former female inmates earn additional income as distributors of Seribelle's beauty sets.
Learn more at: seribelle.com/about-us
Available in 4 Countries:
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Thailand
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Indonesia
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Bangladesh
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the United Arab Emirates
Launched at:
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Beauty Trade exhibition in September 2022
Supported by:
PROJECTS
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MYS One-for-One Campaign
Initiator
MYS (mysthailand.com) is a Covid-relief campaign that sells and donates hand sanitizers to hospitals and communities in need following a One-for-One model.
- MYS nominated for Best Projects 2020 in Entrepreneurship-Campus
Raise Your Voice Conference
Founder & Chairperson
Raise Your Voice (theunioninternational.com/raiseyourvoice) is an annual conference bringing young people across Thailand and Southeast Asia together to celebrate each individual's unique identities, inspire personal growth and self-discovery, and connect to build a supportive community.
In 2021, the conference garnered 134 participants from 54 schools and 21 countries, with its open-call for multimedia (written, visual, audio/motion) submissions receiving 120+ entries under the theme "Exploring Youth Identities". The 2022 theme is "Braving Boundaries".
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The Cycle Alliance
International Ally
In the Spring of 2022, I shared HER’s sustainable pads with homeless women in Brooklyn, New York. I partnered with the Brooklyn Library's Cycle Alliance (bklynlibrary.org), a pro-period youth advocacy group, to distribute period kits equipped with HER pads and other menstrual supplies as part of the Pink Moon Celebration event.
In New York, I was also interviewed by News 12 (news12.com), to raise awareness about period poverty.
Manyasiri and Ms. Kisha, founder of the Cycle Alliance, holding HER x Cycle Alliance period kits inside the Brooklyn Library.
Manyasiri posing with Cycle Alliance flyers and bookmarks to celebrate periods.
Manyasiri and Cycle Alliance youth volunteers based in New York posing with period kits in front of the Brooklyn Library
Manyasiri and Ms. Kisha, founder of the Cycle Alliance, holding HER x Cycle Alliance period kits inside the Brooklyn Library.
CocoMeKind Healthy Bakery
Founder
CocoMeKind (@cocomekind) is an online bakery
I started by producing my own gluten-free recipes for coconut and almond flour bread. I was selling 150 orders per week from June to September 2022 when I transferred operations to House of Blessing, an NGO that trains former prisoners, which produces them for sale at their cafe.
EXPERIENCE
Choose Change, Executive Director
(choose-change.co)
Platform joined by 87 youths from 20 countries
The Cogito Society, Thailand Ambassador & Media/Outreach Lead
(cogitosociety.com)
Int’l philosophy society with branches in 25 countries, spanning 4 continents
National Honor Society, President
Established NHS’s first DEI Committee, piloted free menstrual products in all restrooms
Period Talks,
Co-founder & Speaker
(linktr.ee/periodtalks)
Period awareness conference which raised over $2,000
HONORS & AWARDS
The Union Newspaper
HONORS & AWARDS
Winner of Women of the Future Southeast Asia 2022 Awards
Community Spirit & Public Service Category
Youngest winner in 17-year history; shortlisted alongside Forbes' 30U30 Listers and medical professionals, Interviewed by judges Ms. Josie Zhang, President of Burberry China, and Ms. Tina Redshaw, first female British Ambassador to Cambodia.
Only Thai Diana Award recipient among 183 recipients this year, out of thousands nominated worldwide. The most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9-25 years can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.
Thai Delegate to the International Philosophy Olympiad 2022, Honorable Mention
16th place out of 88 delegates from 46 countries.
Top 2 in Thailand Philosophy Olympiad 2022
UN Women Thailand Women's Empowerment Principles 2022 Awards, Honorable Mention for Youth Leadership in SME
Organized by UN Women, the E.U., and We Empower Asia. Recognized alongside executives from Unilever, SCG, and PTT. Awards presented by past winners from Microsoft, Loreal, HSBC, and Citibank.
EARCOS Global Citizenship Award 2022
Nominated by my teachers and counselor, then selected by the school’s administrative board; Only one grade 11 student per
EARCOS-member school is selected each year.
The Pad Project Ambassador to Thailand 2022-23
Selected as Thailand’s only ambassador for 2022-23 by the organization’s executive board through a merit-based process; joined the advocacy track.
SELECTED FEATURES
MEDIA COVERAGE
HER NEWS
"HER is a youth-led non-profit organization whose mission is to empower women and girls facing period poverty through the research and development of high-quality and affordable reusable sanitary products and advocacy for menstrual equity."
"HER Period Dignity is an initiative founded by a 16-year old female menstruator who suffered from PCOS."
"Chat with Young Thai Diana Award Recipient: Menstrual Hygiene is a Human Right, Periods are Natural.
From her own menstrual disorder, Manyasiri started HER, an organization that aims to find solutions to expensive sanitary pads, increase women's access to menstrual supplies and menstrual health knowledge, and break taboos surrounding menstruation. For her, menstruation is not just a women's issue, but an issue that concerns people of all genders."
"Young Changemaker "Pear Manyasiri" Takes Her Organization 'HER' to Receive World-class "Diana Award"
It is Thailand's pride when Pear - Ms. Manyasiri Chotbunwong, a 17-year-old talented youth, grade 12 student at Ruamrudee International School, receives the "Diana Award" for the organization she started 'HER' that develops sustainable pads to provide women who lack access to menstrual products with a long-term solution. It is an organization that is currently receiving attention and constantly evolving to meet users' needs and reach as many women as possible."
"Manyasiri Chotbunwong takes organization "HER" to receive prestigious Diana Award
I'm very delighted to win the Diana Award. Starting my organization, I didn't plan on getting any recognition, but a colleague told me to just try submitting it. It could open many doors of opportunities for us. Only a handful of people receive this award each year. I am incredibly honored to be the only Thai youth this year to receive this award for HER, an organization that helps women who are in need of menstruation products and hygiene education."
"Manyasiri Chotbunwong, Young Changemaker Behind the Award-winning Organization 'HER'
The idea is to design a sustainable reusable menstrual product. This is how we can help women who are in period poverty in the long term. Donating single-use pads is one of the ways we can help women... but when will we need to donate pads to them again? During Covid, it's very difficult to donate sanitary napkins, especially to women in correctional institutions. So I decided that cloth sanitary napkins are likely to be more effective in the longer term."
INTERNATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OLYMPIAD NEWS
"The purpose of learning philosophy is to ask questions, to foster critical thinking skills and curiosity in students, so they dare to challenge and question the things their teachers tell them, and have a discussion equal human beings. Age doesn't determine whose opinion is more valuable than who, so I believe we need to create a school environment that encourages students to ask questions."
- MANYASIRI CHOTBUNWONG'S INTERVIEW for PRACHATAI (Translated)
"In mathematics or physics, we are taught to remember information, but have we ever questioned whether they are true or not? Or do we simply believe it because it is what others believe? Philosophy is thus learning about what humans consider as truths. Today, we believe the Earth revolves around the Sun. But for people in ancient times, their version of the truth is different from ours. So I believe that by asking questions, we come closer to getting the best answers. The answers might not be the most complete, but we can gradually work towards them step by step. Ultimately, philosophy helps us know ourselves better.”
“If you ask me what is the most important thing, I think it’s whether we did our best or not. If we do our best in the present, we won’t have any regrets when we look back in the future. And no matter what happens, we will welcome it with open arms.
Journaling every day also helped me realize that giving something to someone is a very different feeling than giving something to yourself. Buying something for yourself is one kind of happiness, but the happiness in doing something for others is even more valuable and fulfilling.”
- MANYASIRI CHOTBUNWONG in New Year’s Interview by Sutthipath Kanittakul for The Matter (Translated)
SCHOOL NEWS
"Pear, along with her friends, designed and developed period kits with reusable pads, sugarcane-fiber pads, and hygiene supplies, with the goal of delivering them to underrepresented women, among them female prisoners, female refugees, and women in rural areas and slums. The initiative has proved so impactful that Pear is now a recipient of the prestigious Diana Award (an accolade bestowed upon young changemakers for their social action or humanitarian work) and the youngest winner of the Women of the Future Award (Southeast Asia) for Community Spirit & Public Service, among other accolades."
“I believe we all have two roles—to receive and to give. At RIS, I received a quality education and learned the value of generosity and giving back to others in need. Here, every child can experience the joy of giving. We see value in the passing on of good things to the less fortunate and to society.”
OP-EDS
RECENT PRESS
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NEWS 12: Cycle Alliance Gives Out Feminine Products, Educates Public on Menstrual Cycle
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BRAND THINK: HER Period Dignity, a Youth-led Non-profit Innovating Reusable Pads for Women
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THAI ENQUIRER: Thailand Needs to Change Its Attitude Towards Reproductive Health/Education
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PRACHATAI: Young Thai Diana Award recipient discusses menstrual hygiene rights (Thai)
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SANOOK: Manyasiri Chotbunwong takes organization "HER" to receive world-class Diana Award (Thai)
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PPTV: Thai Youth-led Organization 'HER' receives the Prestigious Diana Award (Thai)
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TNN 16: 'HER' is Distributing Reusable Pads to Women in Period Poverty (Thai)
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THE NATION: Diana Award-winning Organization is Designing Sustainable Pad Solutions for Women (Thai)
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SIAMRATH: Meet the inspiring Diana Award Recipient and 'HER' founder, Pear Manyasiri (Thai)
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MGR: Manyasiri Chotbunwong, Young Changemaker Behind the Award-winning Organization 'HER' (Thai)
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THE MATTER: Philosophy, a Subject Not Taught in School, with Thai Philosophy Olympics Delegates (Thai)
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PRACHATAI: Two youths represent Thailand in the Philosophy Olympics (Thai)
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SANOOK: Two youths represent Thailand in International Philosophy Olympiad (Thai)
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HELLO! EDUCATION: Two Student Leaders from Ruamrudee Int'l School share their Service Projects (Thai)
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THE MATTER: How to reflect on your life this year? 4 ways to examine life from a philosophical perspective (Thai)
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THE UNION: Menstruation: A Taboo Topic that Would Best Be Broken
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THE UNION: What You Need to Know About Female Genital Mutilation