Menstruation
Putting an end to period taboos
MEET THE GIRLS CHALLENGING THE MYTHS SURROUNDING MENSTRUATION
Periods. For millions of people everywhere, they’re simply a part of life. But around the world, including here in the UK, they continue to be surrounded by shame, stigma and taboo. It’s affecting the way girls live their lives – and their futures.
Girls are growing up with all kinds of obstacles to managing their periods, from living without access to clean water and decent toilets to period poverty, which prevents them buying the sanitary products they need. In some countries, girls are being banished from their homes or told they can’t go to school when they have their period. These barriers are having a profound impact on girls' education, their health and their wellbeing, and it has to change.
We’re working with girls globally to end the stigma. We’re building girl-friendly toilets in schools and communities and making sure girls have access to period products. In the UK, we’ve launched a Menstrual Manifesto and our Let’s Talk. Period project. Thanks to your amazing support, we’ve also successfully campaigned for a period emoji and a change to the Relationships and Sex Education curriculum, to ensure girls have the knowledge they need about healthy periods.
Only 12%of girls and women in India have access to sanitary products
51% of girlsin Ethiopia miss between one and four days of school a month because of their period
26% of girlsin the UK didn't know what to do when they started their period
‘My Health Teacher taught me what was going on’
When Betty got her first period, she turned to her older sister. "Luckily she knew that it was normal, even though she didn't know exactly what was happening,” she says.
Periods are a taboo subject in Uganda and like many girls, Betty had to use old rags to manage her period, because her grandma had no money for pads. Now, as well as starting health clubs and training Health Teachers at schools like Betty’s, we’re also providing Afripads – washable sanitary pads – so girls can stay in education when they get their period.
‘When we first arrived, they didn’t have anything’
For girls growing up in crisis, getting your period can make already challenging conditions even harder.
Nurankis and Nur Nahar are both living in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, having fled the violence in Myanmar. As well as the stigmas surrounding periods in their community, they also face a constant shortage of pads or clean cloths.
That’s why our teams have been distributing dignity kits, including washable cloths which can be reused and won’t clog the rudimentary toilets in the camps.
Growing up a girl: Uganda
'I used my grandmother's old clothes'
In Uganda, Peace and Moreen share their experiences of getting their period for the first time.
'Finally I knew what was happening'
When Agnes found blood on her dress she thought she was dying. Access to sanitary pads has changed everything.
BREAKING THE BARRIERS IN THE UK
1 in 10girls in the UK are unable to afford period products
49% of UK girlshave missed an entire day of school because of their period
Almost 70%of UK girls aren’t allowed to go to the toilet during school lesson times
A CULTURE OF SHAME AND SILENCE
“I do feel like there’s a stigma around the topic of periods. If people spoke about periods more without the stigma, it could help a lot of people.” - Jess, 17, UK
Our first-of-its-kind report, Break the Barriers, explores UK girls’ experiences of having their period. It reveals a culture of shame and silence has turned periods into a hidden public health issue – putting girls' physical, sexual and mental health at risk.
TRANSFORMING UK GIRLS’ EXPERIENCES
Based on the findings from Break the Barriers, we’ve created a Menstrual Manifesto – the six things we all need to make happen to transform girls' experiences of their periods.
OUR PERIOD EMOJI IS ON ITS WAY!
We’re celebrating the amazing news that – thanks to your incredible support – our blood drop emoji design, developed in partnership with NHS Blood, is due to arrive on phones and keyboards everywhere soon.
That means people everywhere will be able to talk about periods using one of the fastest growing global languages, helping to break down the shame and stigma still associated with getting your period around the world.
LATEST BLOGS
Girls are struggling with period poverty. It’s time for action.
Why education is critical in solving the toxic trio of period poverty.
Periods: the hidden health story
There’s a hidden health story surrounding periods that we can’t afford to ignore.
Fighting period poverty’s ‘toxic trio’
We're part of an exciting new initiative, committed to ending period poverty.
Meet the girls and women taking on taboos around the world
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating change-makers.