Menstruation: The Elephant in the Room

Periods. Every woman has one and most don’t particularly enjoy the process but it’s a vital factor in the life of women around the globe. From signally the beginning of puberty, and making us aware of the start of menopause, our periods are a part of us, what we do, and how we go about different stages in our lives and we as women cannot control it. So why is talking about it such a taboo subject?
I’ve always been a strong advocate of relinquishing the stigma surrounding menstruation and having discourse about it because most people don’t realize what women in less fortunate situations must go through when on their period. Throughout High School, I participated in countless community service events through a program called FCCLA, but my favorite was always being able to give women what they need to fight the battle that is their period. Like many, I never thought about what homeless or less fortunate women did when they got their period. But fortunately, I stumbled across a YouTube video that changed my life. I learned that not every woman was lucky enough to have what they needed when they needed it. From then on, I made it a priority to give back as much as I could to women in these situations. However recently, something I had never thought about before, was presented to me and now I have a completely different outlook on what I can do for these women.
In my first-year seminar class at Kennesaw State University, we were tasked with finding a global problem in a different country and coming up with a solution for it. Conveniently enough, a group in my class did their presentation on menstruation and how the use of disposable pads and tampons harm the environment. Now I knew that disposable pads and tampons weren’t the best for the environment, but I never knew that there was an alternative… until now. They taught my class about reusable sanitary napkins and how they could change the game for the environment and women who struggle with their periods across the globe.
Their idea was to make kits that came with reusable (machine or hand washable) pads, underwear, and everything else a woman might need while menstruating and ship them all over the world to women in need. I was not aware of the harsh stigma surrounding periods in different countries. Some women are even forced to not work because of something they can’t even control, and I thought that was ridiculous. Imagine not being able to provide for yourself or your family simply because you’re experiencing a natural part of the female reproductive system? Hearing this immediately sparked my interest and made me want to be a part of this change that needs to happen globally. I’ve already been researching different companies that provide these kits for women around the world and I’m defiantly going to do whatever I have to support women who need it.