Empowering Our Women Saint Lucia, a group founded in 2018 by young women, has launched a project aimed at changing the way women and girls view their periods.
The Period Pride Project (PPP) was launched one month ago (May 3rd) with just one goal, as noted above.
“It is evident around the world that the word ‘period’ is perceived to be unhygienic and dirty. The stigma and shame associated with period is an ongoing issue for many women and girls,” said the group’s president and co-founder Tara Moses.
The PPP aims to raise menstrual awareness among adolescent girls between the ages of 11 to 19 who reside within the outskirts of St. Lucia. The organisation was determined to compile data on the attitudes of young girls toward their period in efforts to erase the shame and stigma that surrounds menstruation.
The campaign to raise awareness on menstrual equity begun last month and involves educating and changing the perception some women and girls have about their period by debunking common misconceptions about menstruation. The group intends to do so through the use of the women and girls social media platforms and by hosting various live discussions with menstrual health experts and researchers.
Apart from the collection of data, the group is also pushing for menstrual awareness through the donation of special curated “Fem Pacs” consisting of organic, environmentally friendly and glamorous menstrual products and self-care items.
“The organisation saw it fit to empower young girls with the tools needed to maintain proper menstrual hygiene and to do it with style. Along with the products, the organisation also focused on lifestyle practices which are beneficial to women during the different stages of their menstrual cycle,” Moses said.
The “Fém Pacs” were distributed on Saturday May 29th, 2021 in the communities of Soufriere and Choiseul. This was the first cycle of the “Fem Pac” distribution under the Period Pride campaign and the group plans on having other cycles throughout the year.
The group’s donation of menstrual necessities as a form of empowering young women and girls actually begun in 2019. The initiative started because members simply did not want girls missing out on school and work due to the lack of menstrual products. This continues to be their drive along with establishing positivity and pride among girls in relation to their periods and the misconceptions associated with it.