About the DECOLONISE MENSTRUATION Project
By Project Manager DIANA MORE
Decolonise Menstruation began as a collaboration between Bloody Good Period, a charity that provides menstrual products to those who can’t afford them, and Decolonising Contraception, a volunteer run collective of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) health professionals working to address health inequalities in SHR (Sexual & Reproductive Health). The goal was to end period shame within the unique experience of BIPOC communities. The project happened through a series of workshops, using sound medical advice and creative activities to break down taboos and myths around menstruation and our bodies.
Three small groups were created by collaborating with refugee and asylum seeker centres; Xenia, Women for Refugee Women’s Centre and Baobab Women’s Project. Workshops began during lockdown so were held over Zoom. Attendees were mailed out a Welcome Pack (Image 1.) so they could participate in all the creative activities from home and also try out different reusable menstrual options. Internet data vouchers were also supplied, so there was no cost to attend.
We looked at three main areas that create period shame; physical, emotional and societal pressures. Medical advice was overseen by founder and director of Decolonising Contraception, Dr Annabel Sowemimo.
Menstruation language and translations
Menstruation art, activism and media representation
Pre-colonial and non-colonised menstruation practices
Pre-colonial and non-colonised genders and attitudes towards sexuality
Ethical and environmentally friendly menstrual products
Fibroids, endometriosis, menopause, racial disparities in healthcare
Ancestral knowledge, alternative healthcare
Self-care and community care
To explore these topics, workshops were broken up into two parts, an educational and a creative half. Beginning with the information section, we gave medical information and discussed theory. It was filled with lots of questions, mythbusting and lively conversations.
One participant shared her experience of understanding decolonising menstruation. She grew up in India, where she was taught that the indigenous community, close to where she lived, ostracised menstruators. When she was at university she went to work in this community and learnt that rather than being sent away in seclusion, menstruation was seen as a sacred time, when women were encouraged to rest. Their husbands took over the cooking and cleaning duties because women had lower energy levels or often were in pain. The participant said she realised that part of colonisation is making us believe that indigenous practices are “backwards” and oppressive to women. Of course, period shame exists cross-culturally and is created by many different factors, but a decolonial perspective helps us all question the way we think about periods and ask what societal factors might influence this. This is why we have to ask how the sacred became dirty.
The second half of the workshops were filled with creative activities like journaling, drawing, creative writing, and digital collage. One of the best received activities was the collective poem writing about first periods (Image 2). We used the cinquain poem format, starting with one word and increasing one word per line upto 5 then back down again. Participants took turns, each giving the required number of words for their line, about their own lived experience of their first period. Which created a poem that reflected the similarities, differences, fears and relief of getting your period for the first time.
Another popular activity was creating the groups’ self-portraits (Image 3). Each participant designed an avatar to look like themself. Then, as a group, we put them together and decided which period products they’d like to include in the image. This allowed for participants to remain anonymous and also create positive representation, something racialised menstruators / menopausers don’t often see.
We shared the creative outcomes on Instagram, reaching over 60K Instagram followers. With a comment section actually worth reading! Many followers shared stories about first periods, shame and stigma, menstrual product preferences and the need for more open discussion. It was really rewarding to share the outcome with the wider community and it also gave participants a real sense of accomplishment, helping to end period shame. We still have a long way to go but Decolonise Menstruation has dispelled a lot of misinformation, started many conversations, and helped participants feel more comfortable and confident with their periods.
