Families from Around the Globe Celebrate at WIT 5K & International Day of the Girl Child Festival
Gender Equity Advocate Dr. Kalisha Figures, along with Husband Congressman Shomari Figures, Make Opening Remarks
For the seventh consecutive year, girls and their families gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, to celebrate the WIT 5K to End Period Poverty. On Sunday, October 11, 2026, Women In Training, Inc. hosted its trademark WIT 5K and International Day of the Girl Child Festival on the grounds of Alabama Shakespeare Festival in nature-filled Blount Cultural Park.
Across the nation, one in four menstruating youth miss crucial school instruction or work shifts simply because they lack access to pads, tampons, and essential hygiene care. WIT was founded to ensure that menstruation is never an obstacle to education, self-worth, or athletic and extracurricular achievement.
"I am so proud of the girls in Montgomery that they gather annually to celebrate the power and strength of what it means to be in today’s society,” said Oloye Adeyela Bennett, President and Chief Engagement Officer, Women in Training, Inc. “While our teenage founders are now university students, our WIT Monarchs and other girls are continuing the mission to end poverty and bring awareness to issues impacting girls around the world.”
Nearly 100 runners and walkers, from newborns to elders, came out to participate in the scenic 5K run around Blount Cultural Park, despite the recent landfall of Hurricane Isaias in Alabama and beyond.
Performers and speakers for the day included:
Students and the director of Shivalaya School of Indian Classical Dance
Childhood by Choice, a youth-led nonprofit organization dedicated to confronting child marriage and combating the pervasive horrors of human trafficking and child exploitation.
WIT Monarchs from 5th through 12th grade in the WIT Leadership Development Academy presented their research about the status of girls in various countries around the world.
WIT Ambassadors Kacie Caldwell and Carrington Scott
Women from Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Montgomery (AL) Alumnae Chapter once again partnered with WIT to donate packs of menstrual pads.
Presenting Sponsor YellowHammer Fund donated menstrual and safe sex supplies.
WIT volunteers distributed #WITKITS of menstrual, dental and hygiene supplies from the WITMobile generously donated by the American Red Cross Community Adaptation Program.
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