EDUCATORS
the real period project
Educators
Create a positive menstrual culture in your school, college or university – raise attainment and attendance and provide high quality menstrual education.
We did our work because we wanted to see a world that respects and celebrates the menstrual cycle and menstruating bodies. We wanted it to be safe to talk about and experience menstruation whatever your age, gender or location. This begins in school and needs to continue throughout the educational journey.
Research has found that 1 in 8 girls will start their periods in primary school (1). In their 2018 study, Plan International (2) found that 1 in 4 girls they spoke to didn’t know what to do when they started. 49% had missed at least a day of school because of their period and 48% were embarrassed by it.
We were still hearing students telling us that they are afraid of leaking during lessons, that period pain can be so bad that they stay at home, and that teasing and embarrassment keep them away from school during this time.
We still want this to change.
We want all education settings to be friendly, supportive, safe places to have your period. We want everyone who will have periods to feel prepared before they start and supported once they have. We want everyone, whether they’ll have them or not, to know all about periods and the menstrual cycle, and for teasing and shaming to be a thing of the past.
Because we believe in the power of body literacy and the agency and autonomy this empowers, we offered Menstrual Wellbeing sessions for secondary school pupils and college and university students and staff (see here for more on our last project). And because we wanted to see all places of study as supportive to menstruating bodies as possible, we also offered Period Friendly training – for schools, colleges and universities.
We still want to see menstrual education recognised as a discipline in its own right, & we’re passionate about training people to deliver menstrual education effectively and respectfully.
To this end, our founder Emily has been working with Australian-based international charity The Chalice Foundation to create a comprehensive deep dive into menstrual education for all. This training is for anyone and everyone who wishes to deliver quality menstrual education, in any setting.
Check out the Foundations of Menstrual Education course here.
