Last month at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) in New York City, Ms. joined Essity and filmmakers from documentary Below the Belt to host “Spotlight on Periods: A Call for Menstrual Health Equity.” The event brought together film, music and sports trailblazers, influencers and activists to discuss their call for action to close the gap in menstrual health.
Their insights highlighted the powerful role of pop culture in driving systemic change and how each person, with their diversity and experience of the menstrual cycle, uses their platforms to advocate for menstrual health equity. The evening was full of their unique stories and personal commitment to meaningful change.
Madame (Kiran) Gandhi, a musician and activist, shared how her experience of running the London marathon on the first day of her period sparked her dedication to raising awareness about menstruation and menstrual health.
“I ran and I bled freely, and I thought, ‘This is so badass and so empowering,’” she said. “Women bleed all over the world and we are not rewarded and celebrated. And we are expected to hide it away in shame.”
Madame Gandhi sees the power of using her music and voice to spark a global conversation around menstruation and how we can talk about it comfortably and confidently specifically highlighting the impact of cultural taboos on girls’ education.
“As creators, we have a responsibility to tell the story and also have the inner dialogue to develop a loving relationship with our bodies and periods, to be able to show up and bravely educate others,” said Gandhi.
Joanna Griffith, CEO and founder of Knix, spoke about inclusivity, community and storytelling. After learning that 15 percent of teenagers drop out of sports due to their periods, Knix started a campaign where athletes, including Megan Rapinoe, publicly shared their experiences of bleeding while competing.
“Normalizing menstrual health is important, especially with something so natural in our lives. At the level I play, mental, menstrual, physical and emotional health and how you feel about yourself are related to the performance and how successful you want to be. This is where brands must step in, listen to us, and ask what we need to feel confident and perform our best,” said panelist and Olympian Ali Krieger, two-time world soccer champion.
Nadya Okamoto, co-founder of August and founder of period.org, talked about using social media to show what a real period looks like; she has made it her mission to normalize periods and provide youth-focused education advocating for menstrual health, which she also explores in her 2018 book, Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement.
Ms. magazine’s Jennifer Weiss-Wolf talked about the other side of menstruation: what it means to prioritize public policy for all stages of menopause and make it an intergenerational topic. In her 2017 book Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity, she provided the roadmap for how to make menstruation a crucial public policy issue.
Award-winning filmmaker Shannon Cohn, co-host of the event, spoke about endometriosis awareness and the power of storytelling and data to reach policymakers and spark systemic change. She shared a segment of Below the Belt, a documentary that focuses on the challenges and experiences of women dealing with endometriosis, which too often goes underdiagnosed and misunderstood.
With personal stories and expert insights, the film sparked important conversations about women’s health and elevated advocacy for better research and resources.
Sahil Tesfu, chief strategy officer at Essity and event host, led a discussion on menstrual health from a rights-based perspective. Despite impacting 1.8 billion people globally each month, menstrual health remains underserved for many. She outlined that menstrual health encompasses physical, mental and social well-being from menarche to menopause.
Closing the menstrual health gap would enable millions to engage in their lives and society fully. To address existing gaps, she shared four key priorities: creating a stigma-free environment; providing inclusive and accurate information; ensuring access to safe and affordable period products; and guaranteeing clean water and private sanitation facilities. She emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration across the private sector, the public sector and civil society.
Menstrual health is a human right. Investing in menstrual health and closing the menstrual health gap is integral to gender equality and can unlock progress across the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
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