Taking Period Shame Off the Timetable

A Student of Government Secondary School, Kuje, FCT, Wears the Cap with A Simple Message: No Shame in Flow!

By Cynthia Umeh

What is the first thing most students do when someone mentions menstruation in a crowded school hall?

Watch Our New Short Film, FLOW!

Premiere of FLOW in Abuja

I did a thing!

For the last few weeks, I have been saying this regularly about every achievement I have because I tend to find the faults in my ‘stars’ rather than celebrate the luminance that they represent. I constantly have to remember to be my first cheerleader.

So…I did a thing. Or more appropriately, we (Shades of Us) did a thing! We developed our first film in two years. This one is called FLOW.

Addressing Period Poverty with Our Short Film, FLOW

 

By Ruth Ajawu

Let us talk about something that affects millions of women and girls worldwide but often remains shrouded in silence and stigma: period poverty and shame. Period poverty is a deeply troubling issue that extends beyond the mere absence of sanitary products. It encompasses a broader spectrum of challenges, including the lack of knowledge and understanding about menstruation that perpetuates harmful stigmas and the promotion of periods as unclean and something to be ashamed of.

Unclean

Photo by Cliff Booth on Pexels

By Ruth Ajawu

My eyes fly open courtesy of the sharp pain shooting through my lower abdomen and instant panic grips my heart. Please let it not be what I think it is. It is way too soon: I am not ready.