Period emoji may be answer to periods stigma in Digital Age

In 2017, Plan International carried out a research on the taboos and silence that surround menstruation. We found out just how uncomfortable girls feel when talking about their monthly period. This means the society has not made it conducive for girls to experience this natural phenomenon without shame.

Monthly period is a universal fact. Sadly, so is the stigma and shame that comes with it. In some parts of the world, a girl on her periods could be banished from home or not allowed to go to school. In Kenya, majority of girls miss school when on their periods due to lack of sanitary towels and the fear of being bullied, especially by boys.

Research by WaterAid indicates that 51 per cent of girls in Ethiopia miss between up to four days of school per month due to their period and 39 per cent reported reduced performance. In Malawi, 30 per cent of girls had been scared when they first started their monthly period while 48 per cent of girls in Iran, 10 per cent in India and seven per cent in Afghanistan believe menstruation is a disease.

This shows how monthly periods are perceived as a taboo in most parts of the world, leading to stigmatisation of girls.

A situation analysis report carried out to inform the Kenya National Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy and Strategy showed that 58 per cent and 53 per cent of girls in rural and urban areas, respectively, cannot afford sanitary pads. An average of 22 per cent of school girls purchase their own sanitary products. Which begs the questions, who provides the money for the towels, and what is given in exchange?

Despite the changing attitudes towards discussions regarding reproduction and sexuality brought about by exposure to the ever-explicit media, 54 per cent of girls would not openly discuss their monthly periods with parents as they consider it taboo because of societal orientation. On the other hand, 63 per cent of mothers said they had discussed issues to do with puberty and maturation with their daughters.

Just 30 per cent of primary and secondary schools provide sanitary pads for their students and, in most cases, it’s only for emergencies, while only 36 per cent of rural schools have adequate private ablution facilities for girls.

The situation is aggravated by poor water and sanitation facilities in schools, where a girl spends most of her time. Besides, girls face the danger of infections due to lack of menstrual hygiene education and sanitary towels.

Girls are also limited in participating in public discourse and sports due to shame associated with menstrual stain (if it happens), when she stands to speak in public or while playing.

A study by FSG on menstrual health in Kenya shows a growing momentum in improving women’s and girls’ menstrual health in the past five years. Various sectors — the government, international donors, local NGOs and social enterprises — are making efforts to improve menstrual health hygiene and menstrual health more broadly.

Most of the efforts to date focus on providing products to manage menstruation and limited interventions seek to increase awareness. Although sanitation is a significant barrier, gendered approaches to sanitation are limited.

Menstruation is a public health issue that has remained hidden for far too long. Evidence suggests that lack of knowledge and the perpetuation of shame and stigma puts girls’ physical, sexual and mental health at risk. The negative conversation around periods continues to damage girls’ self-esteem and self-worth. A lack of understanding of what is ‘normal’ also heightens the risk of late diagnosis of serious conditions such as endometriosis or gynaecological cancers, or a misdiagnosis of depression.

Even though Kenya has a National Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) Strategy and Policy, a lot needs to be done to break taboos and stigma surrounding menstruation. A girl should feel free and comfortable to talk openly about her period.

In this age of technology, could a period emoji be the answer to starting the conversation? I know you are wondering how this could solve the issue of breaking taboos and silence around periods but just think for a moment the change the emoji could bring to adolescent girls around the world.

A girl who is beginning to menstruate often does not know how to begin the conversation even with peers. But it would be easy for her to send the emoji to her friends as a conversation starter. If a girl on her periods had planned to hang out with her friends and she begins to experience menstrual cramps, she can send an emoji as a signal that she needs time out.

Having a period emoji encoded across all smartphone keyboards globally on the Menstrual Hygiene Day, which was commemorated on Tuesday, would have been a huge contribution to changing the conversation around periods and help to normalise this across cultures.