The first step to normalizing your period is to take your tampons and sanitary pads out of your pocket – they’re not illegal. “The period is over!”, as the Your KAYA campaign argues. What counts is education and breaking taboos. At any given time, 300 million women are menstruating all over the world. It is a physiological phenomenon that affects more than half of the population. The sexual revolution at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s made talking about sex more and more bold. Female physiology, however, remains in the shadow of shame and superstition; a menstruating woman should not do many things, for example, knead dough, because it will certainly fail. Menstrual blood does not function in the general media awareness. And yet we are used to seeing it, if it is shown, for example, in crime or horror films. In the meantime, advertisements for hygiene products linger on the blue liquid symbolizing blood.
Pure physiology
The appearance of the first menstruation is a very important event in the life of every young woman. Usually menarche, or first period, occurs in girls between the ages of 11 and 15; this issue is genetic. From that moment, until the onset of menopause, ie the extinction of fertility, which occurs around the age of 50, monthly bleeding is part of a woman’s existence. The fertility cycle is governed by hormones. It consists of four phases related to the maturation of the ovarian follicle. When fertilization does not occur, bleeding from the genital tract occurs, which is caused by the exfoliation and excretion of fragments of the uterine mucosa.
Revolution in progress
Women fight for their dignity and comfort of life. They are supported by successive social campaigns. Like this one by Your KAYA entitled “The period is coming.” The study Your KAYA, a producer of organic menstrual products, conducted with the Kantar research house, shows that as much as 67% Polish women were mocked about their period, and 43 percent. faced discrimination because of this. Women were ridiculed, downplayed e.g. their malaise and pain perception. At the same time, the study showed that as much as 99 percent. A Polish woman has menstrual complaints. This includes general physical discomfort, depressed mood, irritability, weakness, nausea and bowel problems, and pain from uterine contractions. 77 percent A Polish woman cannot take time off from school or work when menstruating and feeling unwell. Menstrual leave remains in the sphere of dreams, and Japanese women and South Koreans take advantage of its benefits.
promotional material
– Although the period is a permanent and natural element of women’s lives, it is still a huge taboo – says Kaja Rybicka-Gut, co-founder of the Your KAYA brand. – Although we partly expected such results, they are extremely sad and show how much work is ahead of us, before the whole society. In practice, the point is that girls should not be afraid to ask for a sanitary napkin when they miss their period, instead of stuffing their underwear with toilet paper.
And so that women don’t have to hide tampons in their sleeves with shame when they get up from their desks at work, she emphasizes.
Let’s change ourselves, let’s change the language
Language shapes our consciousness. Slowly, feminatives, i.e. female names of professions, are entering the linguistic mainstream. Much remains to be done in the linguistic sphere when it comes to menstruation. There are terms that try to hide what it is really about. Menstruation is stigmatized, euphemisms are commonplace, such as being sick for a month, and yet a period is a sign of health. It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that women themselves should learn to talk about menstruation. Between themselves and with their daughters. So often it turns out that girls are not prepared for the fact that one day they will have menstrual bleeding and they are terrified of it.
– Menstruation is still taboo, not least because in our language the word “period” is replaced by awkward, needlessly cryptic synonyms for menstruation, such as “these days”, “red Mercedes” or “auntie from America”. Women hear ± comments like: “what are you so nervous about? Do you have your period?”, “period is not a disease”, “you shouldn’t talk about such things (especially in front of boys)” or “you’re fine, you’re not dying”. Our campaign is a great opportunity to break the spell of the subject and invite you to open attitude – explains Kaja Rybicka-Gut.
“The period falls out” is the slogan of the social campaign initiated by Your KAYA. It is ambiguous and intriguing, playing with the meaning of words. The period “falls out” every month it is “good” for every woman to have it. There is no reason to be ashamed.
The advertising spot of the campaign is made in the style of a sensational film. Night, the girls are secretly telling each other, they are nervous. When the police stop them to check if they have anything forbidden on them, it turns out that their hands are clenched around hygienic tampons. So let us not be ashamed of what is human and let us not instill this shame in the next generations of women.
Menstrual poverty
Another extremely important problem that affects women is menstrual poverty. It happens that they do not have access to hygiene products necessary during menstruation. The reasons are different. The already quoted Kantar study shows that 93% of of respondents believe that sanitary napkins should be available free of charge at school or workplace. Then women will feel safe.
May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Day. The date is not accidental – the average woman’s menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, and the period – five days. The aim is to draw attention to menstrual poverty, ie the lack of access to hygiene products, such as sanitary towels, tampons or menstrual cups, and to raise awareness of menstrual hygiene.
Nothing human is alien to us!
The “Okres falls out” campaign involves: singer Iga Ofelia Krefft and influencers Typowa K and Szalina Malina. They boldly talk about what is important, related to carnality and femininity. They are simply not ashamed of what is human.
Promotional material of Your KAYA brand.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
