A GNWL intern sews the seeds to end period poverty– one pad at a time.
Our lives run on different perspectives. While we may complain about the circumstances and interactions we have, we stay blissfully unaware of the situations of others. While it is unfair to say that we act selfishly, we can only truly understand the experiences that we alone have. The action of service helps bridge the gap between the occurrences of self and the occurrences of community.
I have always been deeply involved in service, Not only do I enjoy helping others, but I treasure building relationships with my community. Interacting with other people allows me to learn and re-evaluate my own perspectives. Along with being an intern for Girl Now Woman Later, I am a longtime Girl Scout. Over the last 6 months, I have been working on my Girl Scout Gold Award project, which focused on helping people who experience period poverty as well as educating them about menstrual health.
My workshops were usually about 2 hours long, but heartfelt discussions with participants usually extended them closer to three hours. There was one aspect in particular that I wanted to make sure I got right: education. Whether it is because of the deep-rooted stigma within communities, or the fact that periods directly impact women, this issue is not talked about enough. As a result, in my US-based workshops, I made sure to devote a significant amount of time to defining period poverty and it’s international prevalence. The issue is widespread, even in communities where we don’t see it.
To show the effects of period poverty, I showcased clips of documentaries that captured the impact these issues have on the lives of women. Following the presentations, I taught participants how to make reusable pads that would be donated to my target audience in India, as well as Girl Now Woman Later’s students in Burkina Faso.
Typically in the United States, a woman spends about $10.00 – $20.00 dollars on disposable menstrual products per monthly cycle. This adds up to $240.00+ per year. This high cost can be greatly reduced by sewing a reusable pad. Each pad costs about $0.44 and can last up to 2-5 years.
Throughout my US workshops, I had 50+ participants, and we made over 150 reusable pads, all donated to Girl Now Woman Later!
During the workshops, my primary focus was to educate others on the topic. What I didn’t expect was the many enriching conversations about mensuration and its challenges, free from societal pressures or tensions. They shared their experiences in a safe space. One of the most rewarding aspects of the project was the many perspectives and stories I collected from women. Many talked about their mothers; they appreciated growing up in an environment where they weren’t shamed for their period.
At the same time, I also heard negative stories; women were treated as impure while menstruating, they were embarrassed. I’m reminded that we’ve come so far in celebrating this rite of passage for girls, but some people still approach menstruation with fear. Acknowledging this roadblock became the first step to changing my community’s attitude toward periods.
The next step was inviting men (and boys) to my workshops. Initially, my workshops included girls and their mothers. I soon realized that if I wasn’t inviting the men in my community to educate them, I was contributing to the stigma and taboo around menstruation. As more men started attending my workshops, I was able to hear their insight as husbands, brothers, and fathers. They were unaware of how their ignorance or fear perpetuated the issue. They communicated they wanted to help their daughters, but were unsure how to. This started many positive discussions, and helped further my efforts to help women and girls.
This project has taught me the importance of perspectives and sharing stories to change hearts and minds. While I set out to educate other, my workshops also taught me a lesson in how to lead and create positive changes in my community. Whether it was hearing about childhood experiences shaping women’s’ views, or how young girls want to end period poverty, my workshops left participants inspired and invigorated to do more.
In conclusion, I learned about the privilege I’ve had. It’s easy to forget how period poverty negatively effects people in my own community. But my project won’t end here! I’m now inspired to do more for women facing period poverty internationally. As an ambassador for Girl Now Woman Later, I strive to keep building a rapport with like-minded individuals in my community, and working to make a difference. I also plan to help venture, develop, and foster the GNWL motto: In red, we menstruate. In red, we experience womanhood and female empowerment. — Priyal Tyagi
