Have you ever missed physical education lessons at school or any other sporting commitments because you were on your period?
The fact is that menstruators across the world are missing out on sports because of their periods due to the inaccessibility of period products, while others have felt self-conscious and embarrassed to participate during their period due to societal stigmas.
By working to break down harmful period stigma, we can ensure no one has to miss or avoid participating in sports while on their period because having your period should not get in the way of you participating in sports,
In June, Qrate and Football Without Borders SA collaborated to take a step toward flipping the narrative on menstruation for young South African athletes. The workshop left the young athletes empowered, knowing that they can, too, thrive in the sporting world as menstruators.
Period Poverty in South African Schools
Millions of menstruators in South Africa are not able to afford or cannot access period products. This is known as period poverty.
Respective research conducted in South African Schools by the Menstrual Hygiene Management and The Borgen Project found that:
83% of menstruating learners do not have regular access to menstrual hygiene products both at school and at home;
1 in 4 learners (who menstruate) miss school monthly because they lack access to menstrual hygiene products and support during their menstrual periods;
An estimated 30% of South African menstruators do not attend school while they are on their period because they do not have sanitary products.
How Does Period Poverty Affect Sports Participation?
The statistics above in South African schools reflect the realities that menstruators face across society. Menstruators play on an uneven playing field due to existing period stigmas, period product inequality, and inaccessibility. This translates to missed training, missed competitions, and increased dropouts of menstruators in sports. In summary, these are MISSED OPPORTUNITIES and LOST POTENTIAL for millions of girls, and women.
What Can We Learn From Football Without Borders SA?
Our workshop with Football Without Borders SA was a special one because it was telling that there are sports clubs and organisations that are making efforts to provide and integrate menstrual health education for their athletes to ensure that menstruators have a safe and comfortable environment. Not only is menstrual education important for the athletes but also for the coaches and staff members to understand how to support menstruators.
The more we can start normalising menstrual conversations and education in sports, the easier it will be to spread support. If we start talking more openly about periods – a menstruator who might be struggling with their period would be more open to seek support from their parents, coaches, or staff members to get help and advice.
Sparking conversations about menstruation health enables us to celebrate what women on their periods have achieved, and helps to break taboos while opening the door for an important mindset shift in sports regarding periods. The more conversations we can have about periods in sports, the easier it can become to set setting higher standards for girls and women in sports to be protected and supported.
Qrate is on a period tour all across South Africa. If any schools or youth organisations would like to get involved or be a part of the period positive tour, please email info@qrate.co.za
Your period is symbolic of your power, your womanhood, and your sisterhood. But sometimes, you forget the magic behind it. Sometimes we see our periods as something we want to hide, ashamed of, and something we are self-conscious about. Some people scrutinise your period and minimise your experience as if it’s up for debate, but I am here to tell and empower you to embrace it.
It’s time you embrace it wholly, dear period; you are something to be celebrated and marveled at. You are no longer silenced in rooms because I am slowly beginning to speak about you loudly and openly. The more I speak about you, the more I realise I am not alone. I now have a community of humans who acknowledge and support my experiences with you. I am constantly learning how we can co-exist every month, and to be honest, it is still freaking hard because sometimes you come in with all the punches (cramps, nausea, moods etc.), but at least I am trying. I am unlearning all the misconceptions and breaking the stigma within myself and the world so that a period-positive world will be a reality for my younger sister and all the younger girls behind me.
A Reminder for Menstrual Hygiene Day 2023:
Girl child, it’s time you stand with pride and walk in conviction about your period, Do it for yourself, your sisters, your brothers, and the millions of girls around the world, It starts with loving yourself and your body a little bit more, It starts with being kinder to yourself when it is hard and painful, A little bit of love and kindness to yourself goes a long way, Because it is the foundation for creating period positive change in the world.
So What Can You Do To Change The System?✊🏾✊🏼✊💥
Learn: đź“š
Get informed about your menstrual health and the challenges faced by girls by signing up for these courses:
Menstrual, Sexual, and Reproductive Health Course From Global Changemakers Organisation. In this course, you will learn from 10 Changemakers from 9 countries who are activists and/or medical professionals with extensive experience in Menstrual and Reproductive Health.
Menstrual Cycle Support Course by Menstrual Cycle Support. This course helps you to understand, reframe and even embrace every day of your menstrual cycle.
Qrate is on a period tour all across South Africa. If any schools or youth organisations would like to get involved or be a part of the period positive tour, please email info@qrate.co.za
Menstruation is a natural biological process experienced by half of the world’s population, yet it remains a topic shrouded in stigma and shame. Educating young girls about menstruation is essential so they can understand their bodies and manage their menstrual cycles confidently.
On the 19th and 20th of April, Qrate hosted a menstruation workshop for the 120 girl learners from Leap Sciences and Maths School in Diepsloot and Linbro Park. In collaboration with the Leap Institute’s Learning and Living Labs Leader, Neliswa Nyandeni, our facilitators Candice, Felicia, and Selo hosted an impactful two-day workshop that covered a wide range of topics, including the biology of menstruation, menstrual health practices, menstrual products, and the emotional and mental aspects of menstruation.
Today our Qrate Team hosted a Menstruation Workshop at Leap Science & Maths School! 🏫 💫
Qrate facilitated an interactive workshop that engaged the participants in empowering activities to learn more about their bodies and periods while leading critical discussions on the impact of period stigma in society. The workshop held a safe space for our participants to express themselves freely through dance, singing, sharing their experiences, and asking questions about all things periods.
The two-day workshop was packed with fun activities that promote the engagement and participation of the students. The #KnowYourFlo session kickstarted with energizing icebreakers to encourage the students to feel encouraged to participate.
Our workshop also used visual learning as a way in which participants could learn more about periods. During our workshop, we showed an animated short video introducing periods and a short movie called “First Period”. The “First Period” was a powerful visual experience because it showed the participants a period-positive world that contrasts the lived realities of the period stigma millions of menstruators continue to face today. This video highlighted to the participants that creating a period-positive world is possible if we break the period stigma within ourselves, communities, and governance structures.
At Qrate, we aim to transfer period experiences and knowledge through our true and false quizzes, period myths game, and our what would you do game.
True and False Game:Â Our participants took part in a quick-fire True or False quiz that questioned participants about the quick facts about periods and period statistics. The true or false quiz highlighted the sheer magnitude of the menstrual inequality world concerning mainstreaming access to period products, menstrual health, and menstrual education.Â
Alien Game: The Alien game was not just about learning about the applications of the various menstrual products but also a research activity where the students got to dig deep to understand what type of materials are used to manufacture the different menstrual products. This menstrual product research got the participants thinking about the impact of certain period products on our environment and planet.
The workshop closed with the participants taking their period pledge, vowing to talk openly about periods so they are part of the change in breaking the chain of stigma towards periods. The students each received period products from our period partners: The Pad Princess and Komani Pads.
We’d like to thank the Leap Institute for inviting Qrate to host the #KnowYourFlo Period Workshops! We’re excited for delivering our workshops to the other Leap Schools in South Africa as part of our ongoing #PeriodPositiveTour.
To invite Qrate to your school or organisation, reach out to the Qrate team on: info@qrate.org.za.
With the new year already in full motion, we are honoured to have hosted our first workshop of 2023 with Noordwyk Secondary School. Our founder and director, Candice Chirwa, facilitated an exciting and educational menstrual talk and workshop with 200 Grade 8 and 9 students.
The early morning workshop was kickstarted with icebreakers to get the girls comfortable with freely speaking about periods. These ice-breakers opened a dialogue that allowed the students to express their opinions and views on periods. Next, the students participated in a vagina mediation session that literally knocked two birds with one stone because it first had the students stretched and warmed up for the day, and secondly, the vagina mediation taught the students the different parts of the female reproductive system.
Following that, the students took part in a True or False educational quiz that questioned the young girls about the basics of periods, period products, and debunking period taboos. The true or false quiz highlighted the sheer magnitude of the menstrual inequality world in regard to mainstreaming access to period products, menstrual health, and menstrual education. Then, the students participated in a period product alien game where they practically partook in peer-to-peer learning about different period products and their applications.
The workshop closed with the students taking their period pledge, vowing to talk openly about periods so they are part of the change in breaking the chain of stigma towards periods. At Qrate, we are all about spreading period positivity with all the students and people we engage with.
We received great feedback from teacher Martha, the Head of Department of Life Orientation at Noordwyk Secondary School, stating that she was very happy with the workshop as it offered an interactive and enjoyable platform for her students to learn about mensuration. Watch the video below to hear teacher Martha’s full reflection on the workshop.
We would also like to give a special thank you and a big shout-out to SkinBodyRenewal and Konami Girl for their generous donation of 200 packs of reusable Konami pads to the Grade 8 students. Your partnership and relentless commitment to addressing period product access is part of the driving force that continues to push and inspire the period community to continue to strive for greater reach in addressing menstrual inequality and mainstreaming menstrual education.
To the Noordwyk Secondary School 8th and 9th Graders, teachers, and teacher Martha (HOD of Life Orientation/ SBSG Co-ordinator), you were phenomenal! Thank you for engaging and adding value to the workshop. As we pledged, remember to talk about periods because our periods are power. And that’s on, period!
This year Qrate is going on a period tour all across South Africa. If you would like your organization to experience the Qrate Menstruation Workshop, please email info@qrate.org.za
On the 28th of September, we hosted two menstruation workshops in ONE day. Our facilitators Felicia and Candice started the morning with a workshop at Brescia House in Bryanston for the girls of grade 7s, 8s, and 9s. As part of the Menstrual Project, Brescia House is committed to ending period poverty by donating period products to schools in need. Their teacher, Mrs. Williams is very passionate about the power of education and felt the need for the girls to learn about everything period related.
Brescia House Girls participating in Menstruation Workshop
The fun-filled and jam-packed workshop kickstarted with our fun icebreakers to ease the girls into the workshop. Following that a video took the participants on a visual journey of the experience of the first period in a world of full-fledged period positivity and support for periods. The workshop included an eye-opening quiz that assisted the participants to debunk numerous menstrual myths and taboos. This activity aided to contextualize the challenging circumstances that millions of menstruators face around the globe. Following that, the students were tasked with participating in a period poverty quiz that allowed them to understand the dire circumstances that menstruators in South Africa and the rest of the world have to face every single month. In our final activity, we did our favorite task the Alien Game where five girls were nominated to present period products and explain the use and purpose of each period product. In conclusion, the girls did a period pledge to remain committed to building a period-positive world.
Brescia House High School Teacher, Genevieve Savary-Williams thoroughly enjoyed the workshop in particular in highlighting the economic challenges menstruators faced in South Africa. She even discussed the plans for Bresica House to be involved in donating period products to other school organizations in Johannesburg in the upcoming future.
Facilitators Candice and Felicia with L.O and History Teacher: Genevieve Savary-Williams at Brescia House School
Later on in the day, we teamed up with The Pad Princess to deliver a quick menstruation workshop for the girls of Sparrow Combined Technical Skills School in Melville. The Pad Princess has recently launched their own dignity kits that include reusable pads, period underwear, and toiletries that young menstruators require when on their period. As part of their program, The Pad Princess team invited Qrate to deliver a presentation on understanding periods and in particular understanding how to take care of period products.
Felicia and Candice conducting a workshop at Sparrow Combined Technical Skills School
The girls of Sparrow Combined Technical Skills School had a lot of engaging and important questions which added to the positive mood of the workshop. Facilitators Candice and Felicia spent a lot of time going into the biological process of periods and in particular dispelling any myths and stigmas around period products.
We can confidently say that the girls of Sparrow Combined Technical Skills School and Brescia House are Edulifted about periods!
