The time when talking about periods as a ‘taboo’ subject needs to be long gone
With the Government recently pledging to help end period poverty by providing free menstruation products in secondary schools and colleges, it appears that efforts to talk more about periods and break societal taboos are finally starting to make a real impact.
What is period poverty?
1 in 10 children can't afford to buy menstrual products and over 137,000 UK children have missed school because of period poverty
Free Periods lays these facts bare and demands we do something about it. Started by Amika George, Free Periods aims to stop children missing school because of their period. #periodpoverty is more than just a hashtag, it is a movement. It is the right for any individual who gets a period to have access to the products they need. Free Periods have teamed up with other forces for change including the Pink Protest and The Red Box Project.
What are creatives doing to help?
London bases illustrator Alice Skinner is part of the Pink Protest and has been creating amazing illustrations for the Free Periods campaign. Using her colourful creations Alice highlight issues from tampon tax to the idea that ‘anything you can do I can do bleeding’. Just take a look at her Instagram and you can see that her illustrations are not only aesthetically pleasing but are highlighting important issues surrounding women and society in general!
Another amazing creative movement that are using the powers of social media and their creative flair to help combat the stigma attached to periods are Ovar It. Ovar It are aiming to destigmatise conversations about periods and we are here for it! They released their first zine in January 2019 at Protein Studios, working with Bloody Good Period and The Reb Box Project at the launch. Keep an eye out for what they might do in the future - the time when talking about periods as a ‘taboo’ subject needs to be long gone!
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