What is a period party and why are we throwing one on Saturday?
- By Chloe Tingle
- •
- 24 May, 2016
- •
Our first ever Period Party is on Saturday, 28th May at The Art's House, Stokes Croft, Bristol 3pm-5.30pm
Period parties are an open forum to talk about menstruation,
something which 50% of us do and a minute percent of us talk about.
In total, six years of a woman's life will be spent menstruating! Whether you menstruate or not, six years is a long time to remain silent on something which is affecting your life, but how are you meant to broach a difficult topic like menstruation? Society dictates that if you start shouting about it from the rooftops you’ll be branded a ‘weirdo’ and if you mention it in the office you will be scowled at or told you’re acting inappropriately.
We want to create a space where it’s OK to talk about periods, those things that come around every month no matter how hard we try to ignore them. Whether it’s the good, the bad or the ugly it’s all to be celebrated because your period is a pretty amazing thing. Being able to talk about periods, to your friends, to your family, to your co-workers and acquaintances may seem a bit daunting but it’s the first step towards ending taboo around periods in our society and beyond. We want to give you some hints and tips and let you in on some period secrets.
What can you expect?
Our first ever Period Party on Saturday is in celebration of International Menstrual Hygiene Day. We want to invite people into the No More Taboo family, so you can get to know us and feel relaxed enough to talk periods.
We will be in the cosy setting of The Arts House on Stoke’s Croft eating scrummy cake and drinking delicious tea and coffee between 3pm and 5.30pm. It’s an afternoon of fun here’s what’s in the line-up but feel free to join us at any point, it’s a pretty relaxed affair:
3.00-3.15 Joining the No More Taboo family, mainly eating lots of cake.
3.15-3.35 Presenting our research into homelessness and menstruation-Shai Vora
Shai has been working over the last 6 months to conduct first-hand research into the effects menstruation can have on homeless women’s lives. Here she presents her findings with some moving accounts of the struggles these women face on a monthly basis.
3.35-4.05 Eating more cake and lightening the mood with a quiz. With your chance to win amazing prizes including a “Period Survival Kit” [Warning: May include chocolate] don’t worry if you don’t have periods yourself it will make a great present for someone you love who does.
4.05-4.35 Getting a bit hyper-active from all the coffee and enjoying some light-hearted improv provided by Alice Teale and co from the Bristol Student Union Improv Society.
4.35-5.00- Talking periods! Enjoy your time, chat to your fellow “Period Party” attendees over a cup (your choice as to whether it’s a tea-cup or a menstrual cup) and make some new friends. A chance to ask questions about the products we sell and projects that we run in our Q&A booth. Check out our gallery of taboos. Pick up your hints and tips check-list for talking periods.
5.00-5.30- Why #menstruationmatters to everyone everywhere- the work of No More Taboo in developing communities- Chloe Tingle, Founder
Chloe has spent time researching menstrual taboos in Bolivia, Uganda and Nepal. Hear her stories here and find out how you can help break down the taboos overseas.
As we said, this is all about being able to break the silence around menstruation. We are starting a new series of “Period Parties” in your own home. Just you and up-to 20 of your close friends celebrating periods. A great way to get up close and personal to the alternative reusable sanitary products we sell, learn more about this taboo topic through interactive quizzes and ask those questions you daren’t usually ask. You will also be helping us to raise awareness of our charitable projects working in Nepal and Bristol. If you would like to have a “Period Party” in your home you can pledge here: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/nomoretaboo or get in touch with Chloe at chloe@nomoretaboo.org.
Can’t make it to our party? Help us break down taboos by sharing our crowdfunding campaign with your friends: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/nomoretaboo
WOW Women of the World festivals have been popping up across the world, if you get the chance to go along to one we would strongly recommend it.
WOW – Women of the World festival celebrates women and girls, and looks at the obstacles that stop them from achieving their potential.
Around the world, individuals and communities are insisting on the simple proposition that women and girls must have equal rights and asking the question: why is gender equality taking so long?
Southbank Centre's WOW – Women of the World festival is a global network of festivals which provides a platform for celebrating what has been achieved, and exploring all the ways we can change the world for the better.
What’s not to love?
Our Founder, Chloe, and her Mum Angela went along to represent No More Taboo with a stall across the two days. Here’s her highlights:
“Although we didn’t get much time to take in all the discussions as we were kept busy wo-manning the stall (thanks Mum for helping out)! We had some great discussions around gender, equality, inclusivity and of course periods with new customers, supporters, other panellists and some old friends who came to see us.
In fact, we were really pleased to catch up with Plan International UK who were opening the festival with a discussion about Period Activism exactly one year on since the launch of our #BreaktheBarriers research and Period Poverty Conference that we ran in collaboration with Plan.
On the first weekend of September, No More Taboo set up shop at Lush Cribbs Causeway for their Charity Pot weekend.
The Lush Charity Pot is a wonderfully creamy shea-butter hand lotion where all the sales money (excluding VAT) goes towards a chosen charity or non-for-profit. This scheme is designed to help boost grass-roots, small and local organisations, like ourselves, financially so that we can continue to do the work we do such as our Tackling Period Poverty programme.
As we were Lush’s chosen organisation for the weekend of the 1-2 September, one of our volunteers, Iloni, and one of our advisors, Carolyn, went along to wo-man the (suitably Lush-styled aesthetic) stall that Lush had kindly provided for us. We took along a range of our products, stacks of leaflets and information as well as our enthusiasm for talking about all things to do with periods.
Over the weekend, we sold over £200’s worth of stock with Ruby Cups and Honour Your Flow re-usable pads proving most popular with Lush customers. On top of this, Lush sold so many of their Charity Pots that £340.60 was raised for No More Taboo – which was amazing!
However exciting the money side of things were with this event, what I personally took away as being the real highlight of the weekend was the number and nature of conversations we shared with customers.
Mothers and daughters came and chatted to us about how they agreed it was so important to use re-usable products for personal and financial reasons as well as for the planet’s sake. Boyfriends accompanied their other halves as they prodded and probed the range of menstrual cups on display. Older women commented on how it’s such a relief to be able to talk about menstruation in public and with people you’ve only just met. They regaled of a time when periods were even more hush-hush and celebrated with us out mission of there being No More Taboo.
We would like to thank Lush Cribbs Causeway for being such wonderful hosts, encouraging every customer that came through their doors to consider buying the Charity Pot or simply to chat with us. Each member of their staff team was incredibly warm and so keen to find out more about what we do. On behalf of all of us at No More Taboo, thank you.
For more information, take a look at their website: https://www1.uwe.ac.uk/whatson/biggreenweek.aspx
Read more here: https://www.wen.org.uk/environmenstrual-week-of-action/
