The PERIOD Movement was founded in 2014 by two high-school students, and has grown to over 700 PERIOD chapters in all 50 states and over 40 countries. Its mission is to end period poverty and stigma, to provide free menstrual products to marginalized communities, to fight for access to menstrual hygiene products as a human right, and to pressure the government and institutions to provide free menstrual products. The PERIOD movement does this through several avenues:the creation of chapters across the country, like the New York City chapter, which my friend Sophia is apart of, partnering with other 501(c)3 organizations to distribute menstrual hygiene products, and sponsorships from companies like Tampax, Diva Cup,and L’Oreal. It is up to the discretion of chapters and 501(c)3 organizations in how menstrual products are distributed to communities. They also have campaigns like National Period Day, with a rally held on October 10th each year, and Free the Period, which is a continued extension of the goals of National Period Day. The PERIOD Movement continues to work through the COVID-19 pandemic, because period poverty does not end or stop because of the pandemic; in fact, people’s monthly periods are still working on their same biological clock.
This organization peaked my interest and is important to me because as an intersectional feminist, it is essential to acknowledge that poverty and socioeconomic status affects accessibility to basic healthcare and hygienic needs, and people of many identities are affected by these inaccessibilities, not only because of socioeconomic status, but also because of discrimination. Additionally, as a feminist, it is important to work towards the destigmatizing of sexual and menstrual health, while simultaneously working toward the sexual de-objectification of the female body. This organization does both by reinforcing the idea that our bodies are not something to be admired or an object for entertainment, rather, are the structures that make it possible for us to live, and have biological needs that must be met.
I think my beliefs and the mission of this organization are fairly political, in that not everyone will see eye-to-eye in understanding people’s identities, the discrimination that comes with it, and the impact of poverty or low socioeconomic status. However, despite people’s beliefs or misconceptions, people living in poverty and those who defy gender norms/binary continue to exist, and continue to experience discrimination and a lesser quality of life because of this discrimination. Their experiences will not be erased because of other people’s failure to acknowledge, recognize, or understand them. Rather, it is people’s failure to acknowledge and understand these issues that prolong others’ suffering. The PERIOD Movement works to bring awareness to period poverty, as well as the effects of socioeconomic status or gender identity on accessibility to menstrual hygiene products.
This is a link to their National Petition to end period poverty: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/endperiodpoverty?source=direct_link&
Hi Natalie, I really enjoyed reading your post. A few of my friends are involved with PERIOD so I'm familiar with the organization. I agree with your points and think that female hygienic products should be available to everyone. It's upsetting to see how people choose to make these issues political when it has nothing to do with politics. It's a basic human right to be able to access menstrual products. It's especially upsetting how females are treated in third world countries and have even harder access. On another note, I hate how abortions are also considered political when it really is a basic human right issue. Especially with the polarization of the parties, people refuse to even debate or talk about issues that don't align with their views.
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad how women are still not viewed as equal in the 21st century.
Hi Lily!! (Queen of Tik Tok) I appreciate your feedback. Women have historically lacked autonomy over their bodies, whether that be through taxation and inaccessibility of menstrual hygiene products, the societal/cultural definitions of consent (that has evolved, yet is still not up to date) and the stigma around sex, legislation preventing legal abortions and ultimately increasing medical issues and death among "at home" abortions, or inadequate sex education that has resulted in misunderstanding and misinterpretation of consent and safe sex. This also becomes a bigger issue, intertwined with the LGTBQIA+ community, as not all people with v*ginas identify as women. There is evidently no separation between church and state in several aspects of our government and law, in a "pick and choose" manner, yet it is also evident that these aspects are picked to control. In terms of inaccessibility to menstrual hygiene products and taxation, Viagra is exempt from being taxed in quite a few states (I have not been able to find exact statistics), and is considered a medical necessity. Why are menstrual hygiene products not considered the same, when periods are natural to biologically female bodies? Our bodies have been politicized and controlled, and it is tiring when it is recognizable, especially to those who directly experience these injustices, that autonomy over your own body is a basic human right.
DeleteGreat pitch Natalie!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this. I never even thought about this issue, and how people in poverty lack even the most basic of needs. This should absolutely NOT BE A POLARIZING ISSUE! It is absurd to me that people would deny others this basic right. It is upsetting that this has become a political issue, as people absolutely need these products.
I agree with Lily that it has come to the point where issues like this are barely even discussed before they are dismissed. That is horrible enough for people that aren't in poverty. I appreciate that you chose this organization and I enjoyed reading it, as this issue is usually taboo, but you were able to bring it to light. Thank you.
Interested in the topic, I did a little research and found that more than 1 in 5 women in low-income spots in New York struggle with purchasing menstrual hygiene products every month. These products are not covered by government-grocery-assistance programs. (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-menstruation-usa/even-in-the-u-s-poor-women-often-cant-afford-tampons-pads-idUSKCN1P42TX). That is horrible and something needs to be done to change that.
Hi Brendan, thank you for your feedback! I am happy to know I am able to shed light on this and have others learn something new. I wish period poverty and accessibility to period products were not such a polarizing and controversial issue! As I stated above under Lily's post, it seems to be about control over people's bodies for the benefit of other people, especially economical or financial benefit.
DeleteThese issues also go hand-in-hand with the pink tax, which is the higher taxation of women's products versus men's products (when many of these products have the same function), the sex education system that promotes abstinence through fear-based tactics (I first hand have experienced this in an all-girls private, religious high school!), the sociocultural stigma around sex (with porn, that actively depicts the loss of autonomy of women's bodies for financial means ((this is a whole other conversation)), and the sexualization and dehumanization of women's bodies. It is evident that control over bodies on the economic, social, cultural, and political level. This one issue highlights an array of other issues that are in relation to bodily autonomy.
Thank you for sharing that article! It is interesting that government assistance programs do not cover menstrual hygiene products, when you are unable to choose to get a period. It definitely adds to the points I made in my original blog post, and what I will be presenting tomorrow.
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your charity pitch as well as your responses to Lily's and Brendan's comments. You speak so eloquently on the absurdity of society's view and stigma around periods and other issues that involve gender and sexuality. I wish everyone could read your charity pitch. I remember watching a comedy special by Michelle Wolf and the she made a joke about how different the situation would be if men got periods (link to joke: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxN58nVdCjQ). Although it was meant to be funny, I think it really highlights how women are treated as second class citizens in this country. There is a double standard when it comes to how society treats women and a lot needs to be done to address the stigma and misinformation around women's bodies. I haven't heard about the PERIOD movement , so I was glad you were able to introduce me to an organization doing such great and necessary work in this area. No person should ever have to make the choice between buying menstrual products and other basic necessities. Amazing job on your charity pitch and I'm looking forward to hearing it in class tomorrow.
-Andrew Werner
Hi Andrew! Thank you so much for you kind feedback!!! That has made me so happy and more confident for my presentation. Feel free to share my charity pitch with anyone you think needs to hear it (LOL). Thank you for sharing that stand-up, I love stand-up comedy and it is really relevant to the points brought out in my charity pitch and the PERIOD movement.
DeleteI am happy you see the necessity in menstrual hygiene products and the infrastructural issues that lie in period poverty and the inaccessibility to these products due to pure discrimination and misogyny. This is an important cause that I think many people should be made aware of! I am happy to hear you learned something new!
Hey Natalie, I want to start out by saying that you very much for sharing, often the charity pitches can be very similar with their goals with recurring themes such as mental health and food, and although those are extremely important, it is a breath of fresh air to see something so different to the others. I appreciated the fact that you readily identified your bias on the topic, which allows us as the audience to really see where you are coming from, identifying my bias as a man who doesn't face this issues was also very helpful in allowing me to really open up to the subject. That being said, I find it frankly sickening that organizations like the PERIOD Movement even have to exist, the fact that this is often an issue that just gets swept under the rug is disgraceful. The access to basic feminine hygiene products should be universal and should most definitely be subsidized by the federal/state government as this is an issue of basic human rights. Nobody should be forced to scrape money together in order to buy the feminine products they NEED to have, these products are not a luxury that someone splurges on with extra money, they are a necessity. Lastly, I do really like how inclusive the organization is with their outreach and the scope of gender they provide assistance for, it is very important that people that dont confine themselves to popular gender norms do not feel alienated when it comes to having access to the products they require. Thank you again so much for sharing and I am glad the class got to support this organization!
ReplyDeletesomeone i adore: you, pitzky <3
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ReplyDeleteThank you, Natalie, for recommending this organization to us! This is definitely an issue that should have more coverage when you consider how many people have their periods. I am glad that you brought up the fact that this does not exclusively happen to women because transgender women and transgender men can have periods and it is completely normal. PERIODS is great because not only do they advocate for the government providing free menstrual products, but they also try to destigmatize the subject of menstruation. Talking about your body’s natural reactions can lead to early detection of certain diseases and can help someone lead a better life in the long term. Unfortunately, I receive my own period every month and although I can afford to maintain my hygiene, other people are not so lucky. I think we should face issues like this head-on as it only serves to make people feel ashamed of their bodies and further increase the stigma surrounding them. I definitely agree with you while people allow their misconceptions to warp their thinking, LGBTQ people and others will still continue to suffer. I believe that regardless of one's beliefs if someone needs help you should still extend your hand to them. I personally thank you for addressing this through PERIODS as I would not label myself a feminist because I think feminism lacks intersectionality especially with black women and women of color. However, you do a really amazing job of covering all your bases and addressing the discrimination people of different identities face and I really like that. I hope PERIODS continues to destigmatize menstruation and champions the fight against women's objectification.
Zaria
Hey Natalie!
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing this to the attention of the class and also for having the courage to speak up about a topic that has a stigma attached to it, which can make it difficult to talk about. I completely agree that everyone who needs these products should have access to them. I think it was my junior year in high school when we came back to school and there were free feminine products in all the restrooms. This was sometimes convenient for myself, but more importantly it was necessary for many of the individuals that needed these products and didn't have access to them. I think this is a great step forward for the movement towards providing products for all, but it can't stop there. I remember a time when I was at Target and I picked up a box of tampons and saw that it was open and missing some. I immediately felt bad for whoever had to steal them because no one would steal tampons unless they had to. It is unfortunate that there isn't universal access to these products because periods are already hard enough to deal with.
Your charity pitch reminded me of a project I did that discussed the documentary called Period End of Sentence (it is on Netflix). This documentary is about how in rural India there a huge stigma of menstrual periods, and many women have to drop out of school because of their periods. They do not have access to sanitary products, so they have to use old clothe to absorb the blood, and then they have to go and dispose of this clothe at night when no one can see them. Periods are not talked about at all, and women refuse to speak about it because they are ashamed. They are not allowed to go into their place of worship when they have their period because they are told that they are possessed by the devil. In this documentary, a few women in this rural Indian town start up a business to make sanitary products for women. This company is run by all women, which provides an opportunity for work, which is rare for females there. It also starts the conversation of why girls actually get periods and how to use these sanitary products to help girls stay in school and women to carry out daily life. It starts breaking down the stigma of menstruation in this town, provides work for women, and started the fight for equality in rural India. It was a very inspirational documentary, and I definitely would recommend watching it!
Hey Natalie I really enjoyed your post! The PERIOD movement seems like it does great work, and it addresses a problem that is wrongly not often in our minds. Low socioeconomic status affects every aspect of life, even the simple act of being a woman. As I am a guy, I've never had to purchase any menstruation products but seeing in the stores how expensive they are shock me. Here is a product that is essential to existing as a woman, which make up a majority of the population, that is needlessly expensive. Any organization which seeks to break down that barrier between poorer women and the essential products they need is a valuable organization in my opinion. The specific programs and partnerships that the PERIOD movement undertakes are great to see, and I especially like the National Period Day and the goal of destigmatizing periods as well as financial insecurity. Finally, I like how you addressed the COVID pandemic and how it will make this situation that much worse. When people can barely afford to put food on the table for themselves and their kids, menstruation products are an expense that many simply can't afford. Overall, I'm glad you introduced me to the PERIOD movement and I think you made a great case for donating to them!
ReplyDeleteQueen Natalie has spoken. I remember watching a video a while back on YouTube and the gist was showing the viewers what it is like being homeless woman while you have your menstrual cycle. I did not search for it, much like anyone's YouTube it just popped up on my feed and it was an eyeopener. Many of these women had to do the unthinkable just to feel secure during their cycle and it made me grateful to be in the position I am in. Just recently legislation in certain states have moved to get rid of the luxury tax on feminine hygiene products. Which is a step in the right direction because access to these products should not be seen as a luxury but instead a necessity.
ReplyDeleteNia Johnson