PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement.

In 2014, Nadya Okamoto and Vincent Forand, two Portland high school sophomores at the time, founded PERIOD, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to fight period poverty and further the menstrual movement globally. PERIOD is now one of the fastest-growing women’s health NGOs in the nation, and it is entirely youth-run.

The following is a conversation with Eira Nylander, current Programs Director of PERIOD.

I: Can you talk through the history of PERIOD?

E: In its first year, PERIOD served 100 periods, which was accomplished mainly through partnerships with shelters and nonprofits in the Portland area. After that we implemented the chapter program, which established and involved chapters around the country in the three pillars: service, education, and advocacy. The chapters advance PERIOD’s mission of ending period poverty and period stigma by creating action plans that address these three pillars. They started donating period products in their area, educating people, and advocating for policy changes in schools, which is something we’ve done more of in 2018 and the beginning of 2019. And today we have served almost 500,000 periods.

I: The phrase “period poverty” in itself is obviously pretty striking. For someone that hasn’t heard that term before, how would you describe what that phenomenon looks like? And who is most impacted by period poverty?

E: Period poverty is the state of being unable to afford period products and the items you need to feel clean while menstruating. The Huffington Post estimated [the total cost of a period over one’s lifetime], and the number comes out to be around $18,000—that’s a lot of money... The cost of period products themselves is very high, and added to that is the luxury tax that’s often tacked onto menstrual products. Thirty-five states still consider menstrual hygiene products a luxury, whereas Viagra isn’t taxed because it’s considered a necessity. And oftentimes the people that make these decisions are older white, cis men who don’t menstruate and generally don’t care. Society at large very much still views menstrual hygiene as a luxury because only half of the population is directly affected. There is a lot of cultural work that needs to be done in order to make these products accessible and a lot cheaper. Our end goal is to eventually make these products free in schools, shelters, and prisons.

I: Your profile on the PERIOD website shows that you have been menstruating since 2009. What has your personal journey over the last ten years looked like? How did you become such a passionate advocate for menstrual equity?

E: My mother always says that I was born with one fist up in the air. I have always been a very vocal and passionate feminist. I always try to grow my knowledge in terms of cultural issues and social movements. I studied Sociology in college, particularly Gender & Sexuality Studies and the role of social media as a tool for social movements. I grew up in Spain for my entire life, and Spain has a very big culture of going out into the streets and protesting, so my entire family has been protesting since I was a kid. I’ve always been involved with social justice movements in Spain, and when I came to the US, here as well. I’ve spent much of my life trying to find all of the intersections that exist within the feminist movement. You’re not a true feminist if you don’t bear in mind trans women, women of color, immigrant women… all of those intersections have very much informed my identity as an activist and the work that I do. One of my friends did her thesis on the menstrual movement, and that’s when I started reading about it. I went to college in Portland, and it’s kind of funny because I just Googled “menstruation Portland.” I was looking for nonprofits to work with after college, and I found PERIOD. I called Nadya and somewhat immediately dove into the world of being a menstrual activist. Growing up in a very progressive family, my mother changed her tampons in front of me and discussed menstruation very openly. I was very privileged in that sense, so I seldom considered how stigmatized periods truly are because I could so openly talk about it in my social circles and in my home. I started learning more about menstruation and the culture around it after moving to the US, and I got really invested really quickly.

I: What does your day-to-day look like as the Programs Director of PERIOD?

E: I’m kind of the Chapter Mom. I’m in charge of the chapter network, so I create materials and toolkits for the chapters to advance PERIOD’s mission in the best way that they can. We want them to feel supported and like they can be leaders in their communities. I communicate with chapters via email and on the phone. I edit the chapter portal, which is where they get all of their materials. I’m in charge of revising the educational programs we run right now. The first is Period Talk, which is kind of like “Period Warrior 101.” We talk about period health, period activism, and how you can self-advocate in doctors offices. PERIOD is a very small team, so we all wear a lot of different hats. I can also be pulled into meetings about operations, event planning, communication, marketing… I’ve done all types of things. It’s amazing that I get to do a little bit of everything and have a foot in every door. My day-to-day schedule can really vary, which I personally enjoy. Yesterday, for example, I spent all day responding to emails, which can be boring, but it can also be very entertaining, depending on who’s reaching out. One day last week, though, I spent half of the day speaking on a panel at Adidas headquarters, where I discussed how menstruation [plays a role] in sports. I spent the other half of the day at the office in meetings and such. It depends a lot on the day, which is really fun. My job […] is very dynamic.

I: We’ve already explored this concept quite a bit so far, but why is menstruation so taboo? Why is it so difficult to discuss this topic, despite it being so natural for over 50% of the population?

E: To put it bluntly: period shaming and the stigma around menstruation are just straight up misogyny. It’s prejudice and contempt of women. It’s so natural, so commonplace, and literally every person on this planet is here thanks to someone with a period. Menstruation is so taboo that it’s basically considered “dirty” and worthy of shame; historically, it’s been something that you have to keep to yourself and that you can’t discuss with others. That’s still the case, and in many countries, when someone is on their period, they cannot live under the same roof as the rest of their family. They have to be put away… in Nepal, for example, they have “menstruation hubs.” It’s still so present, despite it being such a natural process. This taboo encourages isolation and silence, which strengthens that stigma and makes menstruators feel less confident and dignified. When you’re made to feel that way, you’re less likely to talk about it. I’ve definitely had this experience. I remember one day I went into work—not at PERIOD, obviously—with really, really bad cramps… I was really pale, had bad dark circles because I hadn’t slept that night, and I was hunched over, but I was still just trying to get through the day. My coworker, a cis male, asked what was wrong. So I told him, “I have really bad cramps, but I just took my pain medication, so I should be better soon,” and he was like, “Woah, that’s too much information. You should not be saying that to me.” So in situations like that, when someone is being really open, there is oftentimes a reaction of disgust and a lot of pushback from people that don’t menstruate. And this guy was really cool! I’m sure it was because he had never before encountered someone being so honest about it. I think talking about it more and educating people about it will help break that stigma. It’s baffling to me how people can be so comfortable talking about sex, but many don’t even know what a period is. Vaginas are so sexualized in porn, but when you’re menstruating, [they’re] disgusting? But yeah. Misogyny.

I: One thing I’ve come to realize as I’ve become more familiar with the work of PERIOD is the cruciality of inclusivity in the menstrual movement. You all are so intentional with your language, so instead of saying things like “feminine hygiene products,” you say “menstrual hygiene products.” And instead of saying when “women” are menstruating, you’ll just use the term “menstruators.” Can you speak to that element of menstrual equity work?

E: If you only advocate for white, cis women, you’re not advocating for all women. That’s white feminism, which isn’t real feminism. And this clearly applies to the menstrual movement. Gender inclusivity is so important. Many people do not identify with the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender and sex are not the same thing, and it’s important to be inclusive of all. If you menstruate, but you do not identify as a woman, you would feel kind of left out of the movement if we’re exclusively using that language. It takes no effort to say “menstruators.” And that term still includes women! Once you get used to it, like anything, it’s really easy. Saying “menstruators” makes people feel more comfortable. In addition to destigmatizing menstruation, we also need to move away from patriarchal understandings of it. We need to move towards a more trans-inclusive, non-binary and genderqueer-inclusive look at menstruation. And we get more thanks than criticism for not using gendered language. Most of the time, people that respond negatively are cis men. It just goes back to this binary we’ve been raised to believe in: if you have a vagina, you’re a woman; if you have a penis, you’re a man. But using words like “menstruators” is such a simple change, and it sheds light on other social movements.

I: Period. End of Sentence. recently won an Academy Award. What does that documentary’s win mean for the menstrual movement?

E: It’s amazing that a documentary about menstruation won an Oscar. In terms of visibility, it is a massive win for the menstrual movement. It’s a way of breaking those barriers down. If it’s something that becomes more mainstream, for lack of a better word, people will then be more willing to share their personal experiences. If we’re able to make change in terms of the visibility of menstruation, we are then more likely to be able to experience a cultural shift towards an understanding that an access to menstrual hygiene products is a right, not a luxury. We can then push legislators into implementing changes so that products can be more accessible, so that menstruation can be both widely and correctly taught in schools. It is not okay that an 18 year-old, cis male that’s having sex for the first time does not know what a period is. That is unacceptable. Having a lot of presence in the media and building cultural capital makes menstruation more visible, and it places pressure on our government to listen to what we have to say.

I: What has been the most rewarding element of your work with PERIOD thus far?

E: That’s hard. One of the things that’s been most rewarding is just having conversations with chapter members and helping them mobilize their community and create change at the grassroots level. Our chapter leaders are amazing. Obviously it’s my job to guide them, but they’re the ones that are actually enacting change. Being a helping hand throughout that process is such a beautiful opportunity. Working on the higher level things—like creating our educational programs and directly collaborating with Nadya—is amazing as well, but as a young activist, I started on the grassroots level, so that really resonates with me. Seeing these chapters grow is really rewarding.

I: PERIOD very much believes in the power of youth-led activism, and it is an organization that was founded and is currently headed by members of Generation Z. Why do you all believe that the menstrual movement needs to be youth-led?

E: Our society does not take young people seriously. It does not take young people’s ideas seriously. We are a completely different generation from our parents, and of course our grandparents… We have such a different set of skills that are not being taken into account. Young people are oftentimes not pushed by society to make change. You’re just supposed to “be” for the first seventeen years, and then you’re eighteen, and you’re all of a sudden allowed to vote. I received an email the other day from a twelve year old girl, and she said, “I really want to start a chapter. I got my period in third grade, and I want to begin talking about menstruation in my school. I don’t really know how to go about setting up a chapter, and I would love if you could help me.” I think I responded with something along the lines of: “Wow, it’s so inspiring to hear from a young activist like yourself.” And she replied with, “Thank you so much for calling me an activist. That’s so cool!” and just a great deal of gratitude for me even acknowledging her. She had contacted a bunch of organizations about getting more involved with her community, but no one had reached back out to her, so she was really surprised to hear from me. And I see that in a lot of our PERIOD chapter heads: they find this new kind of passion within themselves to push forward and make change. Seeing that Nadya started PERIOD at 16… that’s an amazing thing, and she really pushed all boundaries. She’s mentioned that, in the beginning, there were people that didn’t take her seriously and saw her work as a “little project.” Young people have so much potential and power. We’re so great! Youth leadership is at the core of PERIOD’s work and the movement we’re furthering. Having young people at the forefront changes perspectives and breaks stigma and barriers for young people as well.

I: Say I’m a high school student that’s just now learning about this work, but I feel galvanized to get involved with the menstrual movement. In what capacity can I most effectively participate and lead this movement? Who should I turn to, and what do I do with this newfound passion and energy for this issue?

E: Starting a chapter is a great way to dip your toes into menstrual activism. This also provides you with a number of tools that you can use to make policy changes at your school. If you’re able to do that, you can then try to move to the state level, or you can begin establishing partnerships with shelters in your community. Starting a chapter is a great way to begin molding your activist persona. Right now we have our United for Access campaign, which we’re doing in collaboration with the company Thinx; with that project, we’re trying to end period poverty in schools, so a lot of our chapters are pushing towards getting free and accessible products in schools. And we’re thankfully having a lot of wins! So by starting your chapter, you’re developing your activist toolkit, and you also have an entire barricade of people that are supporting you through that process. It’s the perfect amount of support, but it also allows you to build from the bottom yourself. I’d like to think that I have my hand outstretched so chapter leaders can grab a pinky if they need me, but they’re the ones doing the real work.

I: Any last words for any aspiring Period Warriors?

E: This is going to sound very cheesy, but… You’re beautiful inside and out. You have a lot of strength inside of you, and you’re able to make a lot of change in the world. That’s to whoever’s reading this!