MENSTRUAL PERIOD
Why should we talk about PERIOD? It’s not something that people talk about. It’s embarrassing! The fact that people don’t talk about menstruation is exactly the reason we felt it was important to start a meaningful conversation about it.
About 800 million people have a period at any given time, yet 42% of women report that they experienced period shame. Our guests will share their opinions about why they think this happens, and one issue is clear - boys and men don’t know enough about the very natural process that creates life, and as long as they are not educated about it, they cannot relate to and support the females in their lives.
But the problem doesn’t end here. One of the surprising facts we discovered in our research is that many girls have no knowledge about periods until they get their first one. We’re not talking about remote rural areas of the world. We’re talking about the western world in 2022.
Professor Einat Shalom-Paz shares the biology of menstruation, why this is happening, potential illnesses, and how to know when to seek medical care or advice. Watch Prof. Einat.
Melissa Berton is a teacher who won an Oscar for the short documentary ‘Period, End of Sentence’ that she produced with her students. The movie follows women in India who manufacture and sell sanitary pads in rural remote locations. She also founded ‘The pad Project’ with her students to provide supplies to women around the world. Watch Melissa's interview.
Aru Bhartiya talks in her interview about her personal experience with period and explains why she wrote the article “Menstruation, Religion, and Society” where she shares how different religions and societies approach menstruation. Watch Aru's interview.
Dr. Galit Marmor-Lavie brings a unique perspective on period and spirituality. She is an expert on spirituality in advertising and teaches at the University of Texas in Austin. In her interview she ties her academic knowledge with her journey of living with endometriosis and explains how everything is connected to deeper spiritual meanings. Dr. Galit's interview.
Revital Biton Avidar, Mayra Azanza, Jaqueline Nava, and an anonymous dad share their experiences and ideas of a period and how it should be handled in a household, they talk about things they chose to change with their own families as a result of their upbringing. Read Revital's testimony.
Parent Couch Lihi Netzer gives parents excellent tips on how to approach topics that are difficult for us to talk about with our children. Neta Shani explains her solution to this issue through the game ‘Let’s Talk’ that she developed to encourage meaningful conversations between parents and children. Read Lihi's article.
Featured authors Dr Ebre Azuma and Bria Gadsden published a book that teaches young girls in the pubertal period, what to expect during their periods. The two public health experts also co-founded ‘Love your Menses, Inc.’ which promotes menstrual equity through community conversations, education, and mentorship. Read Bria's interview.
Filmmaker and acupuncturist Wren Winfield co-created the documentary ‘Period Piece’ where she interviewed women and girls from different generations about their experiences with periods. She was surprised to hear that not a lot has changed since the creation of the movie in 1996. Read Wren's interview.
Becca Tzigany, author of the book ‘Venus and Her Lover’ has been facilitating workshops on Transformational Breathwork, meditation, etc. She believes that period should not only be embraced but also celebrated as the feminine energy that creates life. Watch Becca.
