Crushing the PERIOD stigma

Menstruation. It’s a necessary biological function experienced by half of the global population yet still a dirty word in countries all over the world.  The variety of period 'nicknames' alone demonstrates how we really don't like talking about periods. “Time of the month,” “period,” “female troubles,” “Aunt Flo,” “on the rag,” are just a few in the English language.  Menstruation is often seen as gross and unclean despite the fact it is the most natural thing in the world. This is what we call 'period stigma'.   Without menstruation, human life would not exist.  Cultural norms and religious taboos on menstruation are often compounded by traditional associations with shame and embarrassment surrounding sexual reproduction.  The world is strangely desensitized to blood except periods.  In some cultures, women bury their cloths used during menstruation to prevent them being used by evil spirits.  

Without access to proper education, resources, girls are often forced to stay home from school during their periods, which leads them to miss anywhere from 10-20% of school days. Sometimes, they drop out of school completely

We are a senior girl scout troop looking to crush the period stigma. We are hoping to give insight and information about periods to help younger girls feel more comfortable with the topic and have a place to go to help find resources.