Branded Femininity
🚺🚺🚺 I read a great interview with Amika George in The Gentlewoman last week, reminding me yet again of how taboo the female menstrual cycle is. George is the initiator behind @freeperiods, an organization urging the UK government to ensure that menstrual products are freely available in schools and colleges (as girls of lower-income families miss school as they can’t afford sanitary products—making them victims of so-called period poverty).
Menstrual Hygiene Day was May 28 and it had me thinking of small steps that have indeed been made—but also of the companies profiting off this newfound bloody business. I have several pieces of period underwear, and Knix, Thinx and Lunapads (apparently the originator of period panties) are just some of the companies out there. Thinx especially have beautiful advertising campaigns and snappy copy editors writing mailouts multiple times a week. Having your period is now supposedly rather hot—and branded likewise. After a sexual harassment controversy, Thinx is run by Maria Molland, who wants to turn Thinx into a 300 million dollar (!) empire. It must be mentioned that Thinx have a pretty admirable giveback-program.
I find the the concept of period poverty heartbreaking. On the one hand you have companies making millions off of affluent (well) people like me, who have access to clean water and can easily clean our menstrual cups and purchase cute period panties. And on the other hand you have girls who miss several weeks and even months of education and social life each year due to something so natural as the menstrual cycle.
@daysforgirls is the brilliant organization behind a very unique period kit, especially designed for girls and women suffering from period poverty. They are not as «aesthetically pleasing» as Thinx, but as the founder describes below, this design is clearly rooted in functionality: «You may notice that these Kits don't look like traditional pads...and there's a reason for that. The bright colors camouflage staining. The absorbent liners unfold to look like a washcloth, which allows women to wash and dry them outside in the sun without causing embarrassment.»
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