SHE SOARS

The period conversation you missed in school

• CARE Canada • Season 3 • Episode 9

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Kristy Van Hoven from the Period Purse joins the Youth Champions to break down period stigma and discuss menstrual equity across Canada. As the advocacy, research and communications manager, Kristy knows all about barriers people face when it comes to their periods and accessing the products, services and information they need. In this packed conversation, Olivia and Shreya swap period confessions with Kristy and shed light on this critical conversation that was missed during sex ed class for most of us. The group unpacks the stigma around periods, shares advocacy tips and trends, and brainstorms ideas to support all types of menstruators on their journeys. They highlight the importance of allies and taking concrete action to create a truly period-friendly world.

*SHE SOARS, funded by Global Affairs Canada, is the Sexual and reproductive Health and Economic empowerment Supporting Out-of-school Adolescent girls’ Rights and Skills project. Learn more at: https://care.ca/shesoarsproject

Episode transcripts are available in French and English at: care.ca/shesoars.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the SHE SOARS podcast are the speakers’ own and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, standards and policies of CARE Canada. The SHE SOARS podcast is a youth-led initiative that provides space for young people to discuss global Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights with the purpose of raising awareness in Canada. Listeners acknowledge that the material and information presented in the podcast are for informational purposes only and do not constitute advice or services. The podcast is for private, non-commercial use and speakers do not necessarily reflect any organization they work for.

[00:00:00] Paniz: Hi, and welcome to SHE SOARS. Her voice. Her rights. 

[00:00:05] Jacqueline: We are CARE Canada's Youth Champions, a group of young people across Canada who are passionate advocates for Sexual and Reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

[00:00:13] Paniz: We're excited to discuss and raise awareness about young women's rights and choices in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia. ​

[00:00:18] Jacqueline: Together, we will explore how these global issues connect to our lives as Canadian youth and discover ways in which we can all take action. 

[00:00:26] Paniz: We will also talk about the SHE SOARS project, which improves access to health and education, which are areas we want to see change in. Join us!

[00:00:37] Shreya: Did you know that one in five Canadians who menstruate have experienced period poverty? Hi and welcome to the SHE SOARS podcast. My name is Shreya and I'm one of the co-hosts today and I'm joined by Liv, who has been on the podcast before. We're going to be speaking to Kristy from the Period Purse about all of the work that they're doing, periods, advocacy and really understanding what all of that is about.

[00:00:59] Olivia: Hi everyone, my name is Liv and Kristy is the advocacy, research and communications manager at the Period Purse. So Kristy, do you want to explain a bit more about what that means and what you are able to do at the Period Purse?

[00:01:10] Kristy: Hi everybody, I'm Kristy and I am super excited to be calling in from the Period Purse in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) today just outside of Toronto. And at the Period Purse, we work on outreach where we work closely with community partners to make sure they have the products that they need to support healthy menstruation. With our education pillar, we work with students of all levels from grade three or four, all the way up to corporate boardrooms and beyond to educate the public about menstruation and how to be a period ally. And I work most closely with advocacy where we work very hard to meet with communities and understand their needs and work towards some systemic and sustainable changes in the menstrual equity space.

[00:01:57] Olivia: Amazing. Thank you so much. So before we dive into more of the work that you are all doing, maybe we can go around and just talk about what is a period and kind of what that means to us. 

[00:02:12] Kristy: I’ll kick us off. I am guilty of this being my question, so I always like to start a conversation with what does period mean to you? How do you experience your period? And we'll dive into some other key words that are important for this conversation.

[00:02:27] Olivia: Perfect. So period to me means a couple of different things. It's kind of evolved over the span of my life. When I first learned about periods, it was not something to be proud of. It was something that I was told I should keep secretive. Now, the first word that I would think of is power. Although it is a normal biological process, I think that it's something that people should be proud of.

[00:02:50] I don't think it's something that we have to use code names for or be ashamed of. So when I talk about periods, I always get super excited and happy to be talking to new people about it. There are sometimes people who are like, why do you get so excited to talk about this? But I'm like, this is such a cool and amazing thing that we should all take pride in and be aware of the power that we have to have a period.

[00:03:13] Kristy: Awesome. Absolutely. 

[00:03:16] Shreya: For me, I have something called polycystic ovarian syndrome, PCOS or PCOD, depending on the person. I had very irregular periods. So I like to tell people my first period story because I think it really captures how complicated of a condition it is. I first got my period on literally the last day of seventh grade, and I kid you not, while I was telling my crush that I liked him. All of a sudden I felt this weird pain.

[00:03:46] And I was like, what's going on? I looked down, I literally saw blood and I was like, no, there is no way. I did not even really grasp what a period was. We had maybe five or six health classes in the last month of school where we kind of talked about it, but I really didn't know what I was even dealing with.

[00:04:02] I ran down to the bathroom and stuffed like a bunch of paper towels to try to deal with it. And I sat there crying, like, what the heck? Like why did this happen to me? Why did it happen today? And then I didn't see my period for another eight months after that.

[00:04:16] That's been the case since I was 13-years-old. I'm now 22 and I just recently started having regular periods but it was very common to not see it come for three to eight months.

[00:04:26] So yeah, I think I've had a very interesting relationship with my period and understanding my body in that aspect because I've never experienced regular periods and when I got them, I really got them. So they hit heavy with like fainting spells, nausea, throwing up and all of these different things.

[00:04:43] So for me, I think of a period as something that has just been very difficult for me and yeah, it's interesting to see my definition of it, Liv’s definition of it and it being very different because I still haven't come to terms I feel like with my PCOS and understanding my body in that aspect. 

[00:05:00] Kristy: Thank you for sharing. We all have our own journeys. So there is no such thing as a normal period. It's an ongoing journey and an ongoing relationship with our body. I love this question for a number of reasons because I get to hear everybody's stories and I have grown to love my body. I am well older than both of you into my forties. I'm on my way out of my period experiences so it gives me a different perspective and an opportunity to reflect on my whole journey. Menstrual is a word we use a lot.

[00:05:32] So what is menstrual? A period is the shedding of the uterine lining and is generally, but rarely, the textbook says five days worth of bleeding. Menstruation encapsulates a bit more of the process. The menstrual cycle is generally a 28 day cycle. But again, everybody's different. If you have any questions, always check with your doctor or health professional. So the menstrual cycle is an important kind of rejuvenation for a uterus and that month long-ish process. Period then is the shedding of the lining that causes bleeding, but it's really more than that.

[00:06:13] I just like to set the stage a little bit and so piggybacking on that menstruator is a person who menstruates. And oftentimes people will call that women. And yes, a great percentage of Canadians are women who menstruate but there's a number of people who still have uterus that may not be identifying as a woman.

[00:06:32] And so we like to call anyone who experiences a menstrual cycle a menstruator as opposed to a woman. At the Period Purse especially, we are working hard to open up that experience to a larger voice recognizing our two spirit communities, our trans and non-binary communities as well as the gender fluid community.

[00:06:55] And of course, our period allies need to know what's going on with our body and how to support us because facing a period alone is scary and it should never be anybody's fate to face a period alone. 

[00:07:07] Shreya: Thank you so much for defining all of that. You mentioned something about there being 28 days-ish in the menstrual cycle, which is why the 28th of May is the day that we recognize menstrual equity month, really talk about things like reducing shame and stigma and understanding and learning these definitions of period poverty and what a period is or who menstruators are. Just empower anyone who is menstruating.

[00:07:32] Kristy: It's great that you bring up Menstrual Health Day. So this is an international day recognizing menstrual health and the menstrual experience. And we really invite everybody to get out and participate. At least wear red and talk about menstrual health on Menstrual Health Day. 

[00:07:50] Shreya: Awesome. For today's episode, period poverty means that you don't have access to period products, but that can also look like intentionally trying to ration your products or using items like even toilet paper in place of period products, or not even being able to afford those products because of the cost of them. So period poverty looks like a ton of things and a lot of us have experienced it without even realizing. 

[00:08:11] One of the interesting things that we're doing at CARE is the SHE SOARS project. A lot of the things that we work on are collaborating with youth in Zambia, Uganda and Kenya. And we get a lot of the success stories that come out of this whole project.

[00:08:25] So some of the successes that we've heard is that folks who have taken part in the programming that SHE SOARS offers ended up actually becoming peer educators because of learning about all the challenges that their friends and their families and other menstruators are facing.

[00:08:43] So folks are brought together and taught to understand their own bodies, how to protect themselves from infection, to pregnancy, how to produce their own handmade pads and other life skills like being confident, assertive and resilient and all of these different things that are so important when it comes to being menstruators.

[00:09:01] Olivia: Amazing. Yeah, a lot of times in the sexual and reproductive health and rights space, we talk about the term equity and period equity. So what does that mean? 

[00:09:11] Kristy: Yeah, so at the Period Purse equity to us really means that everybody has the experience and the support they need to have a safe period to make themselves well and participate in community.

[00:09:26] Equity doesn't necessarily mean equal. So not everybody needs to have a tampon on them all the time because not everybody uses tampons or feels really safe using tampons. It's more important for everybody to have access to a choice product and a quality product. We challenge everybody to think about what support and what products you need to have the best period you could possibly have.

[00:09:51] We know there are challenges, pain and life disruptions that come with periods but how can we make it the best and how do you make it the best for you? And then let's make sure everybody else has the best experience they need. So that is equity to us in the period space.

[00:10:05] Olivia: Yeah. I think another piece that I personally think of, and I'm interested to know what you think Kristy, it's so important to be supporting new menstruators and youth who have just recently started to menstruate.

[00:10:16] But I also think a lot of times the conversation around periods gets really geared towards early menstruators. And then that idea of, okay, now you're supposed to have figured it out and maybe not talk about it again because it's supposed to be kept kind of private to yourself. So I'm interested to know maybe a bit more about what the Period Purse is doing around conversations. How can we make sure that there are also supports for people who are still menstruating as well?

[00:10:43] Kristy: Yes, I think an important part of equity is knowledge, so everybody having the information they need to take care of themselves. We did a wonderful community partner research project this winter. We often heard the same thing that you observed, Liv, that a lot of kids maybe will receive a basic information session that is your period is coming, be prepared. That's it, no other information. And then maybe a couple years down the line in a health class, you'll know what a uterus is and be able to connect the dots. That leaves a whole lot of youth, adults, anybody with medical challenges or anybody that experiences changes within their menstrual cycle after they've started – and nobody has the same period they started with when they finish – so there's a whole gap in knowledge and it really boils down to being able to comfortably have conversations. But also an important thing that we're looking at at the Period Purse is how we increase research around menstrual health the menstrual experience and really encourage the medical profession and those that are working in caregiving to start to learn the ins and outs so that they can support every menstruator who comes their way in the way that that menstruator needs to be supported and not the textbook, 28 day, five day experience. So yeah, I think that's a great conversation to have: What can each of us do to open the door for a conversation around periods? I have a 5-year-old niece, so you know, she's going to learn all about periods from Aunt Kristy, to talking about students that we support through our work, to chatting with our friends over a coffee.

[00:12:32] Like, how's everybody doing? Let's check in about periods. Is there something I can support you with this week while you're on your period or even asking for help? And saying, you know what?

[00:12:42] I need a day to just exist my way through this experience. And saying that out loud and having period allies back up and support that. So conversations with dads, brothers, non menstruators. I would challenge people to start talking to their bosses but I know that's super intimidating. But how can everybody really support the menstruators in their lives when they need it? So I think change always starts with opening a door and being a willing listener. Like, yep, I may not be experiencing exactly what you're experiencing but I hear you, I see how your experience is affecting you, and I want to be here to support you. And then, yeah, the Period Purse has a number of great resources on their website where anybody can learn basics about the products on the market and then some strategies to engage in period conversations. So check out theperiodpurse.com. Shameless plug.

[00:13:41] Olivia: Amazing. Thank you so much. I love that you highlight the creation of a period community and I also love the work that the Period Purse is doing around that call for research because I dream of a world where people can make informed health decisions and not decisions based out of fear or something that they saw on social media. And having scientifically-based knowledge around their bodies and why these things are happening is so important. That is my driving passion is getting more of the medical research aligned with what communities need.

[00:14:13] Shreya: I also really resonated with your thoughts around finding allies. I tend to be very open with my bosses and coworkers about my period but I find that people are nervous about how to receive those things. Like I've worked in spaces entirely male-dominated, which has been really challenging because whenever I would have to call out of work and be like, I don't think I can come into the office today. They're like, why would your period be so bad? Because there's other folks here that experience their period and they're in office and they're completely fine. And some people don't understand the level of complexity of it. 

[00:14:49] But on the flip side, I think a really good example of someone who's a really positive ally in my life is my partner. I swear whenever I tell him that I have my period, I always say, “I'm fine. I'm fine. Don't worry about me.” But he will always make sure that I have like every single snack in the world that I could possibly want. Always have like a heat pack or something on hand because that always makes me feel good. And I think that is another really important thing that people need to have is like actionable ways that somebody can support them because I always reject help when I'm on my period.

[00:15:23] I just want to be by myself but I do know that I need that kind of support. So if any of you want to talk about what are some ways that people can support you?

[00:15:33] Kristy: I think that's lovely that you have a really supportive partner, that's fantastic. I have a wonderful partner at home too and he has frequently joked that he knows more about periods now than when we first got together.

[00:15:47] I will often bring cups or discs or other period paraphernalia home to experiment with it and see if I can destroy it or how it works and kind of unpack it so that we can better educate the communities we talk with.

[00:16:01] It's kind of fun to see his reaction, like, what's coming out of your backpack today? And so being able to joke around like that, to have menstrual cups sitting on our kitchen counter drying after I've boiled them is probably not how he envisioned his life but probably a very funny thing that he goes and tells friends at work. I just keep thinking, you talk to one person, you make one person, a non menstruator, comfortable with new things that are happening in this space. You're just building a network of period allies.

[00:16:29] Maybe not for you but for somebody else. So my challenge to everybody listening is. Again, open the door, be a period safe person that is knowledgeable as much as you can be. TikTok is fun but it's not always the best, most reliable resource for information. But gather some information. Have a good, do you know session with somebody close. I think we'll find that there's a lot more hidden support than there is hidden disgust. Like people are really interested in periods, how bodies work and how we can be better people for supporting our community. 

[00:17:06] Shreya: I think people don't know what they don't know too. I think that's so important because like up until a few years ago, I didn't even know that there was anything to use other than a pad or a tampon. I thought it was just like two choices and that's all you got. And here we are having different options on what types of products that we have available to us. 

[00:17:26] Kristy: So if any listeners are interested we can certainly coordinate a class on products because you're right, there are a ton of products out there. And I love Amy Schumer's old Tampax commercial on how to size your tampons, but that's not enough right?

[00:17:43] We need to do more and we need to get in every classroom in every community and really unpack all the options we have for products to take care of ourselves. And then pain management. Nobody ever talks about pain management. So, you know, wet towels and heating pads, massages, all great or space to have a bath or a long shower if that's within your purview. So let's all be really comfortable about being like, yeah, my uterus hurts and I need this to make myself feel comfortable. Whatever this is for you. Because everybody, again, experiences pain differently and at different levels. Periods can be very debilitating for days and being able to manage the ebbs and flows of that discomfort along with your life can be a real challenge for a lot of people. So yeah, if you're experiencing any of that, think about what can be done during your period to mimic what some of those best, most relaxing moments are in your life. Liv, how about you?

[00:18:41] Olivia: Yeah, thank you so much for sharing. I'm learning so much from your knowledge so this is amazing. I think going back to the period allies conversation we were having, a project that I started at my university is the menstrual equity project. So I unexpectedly got my period during a lecture one day, and I had to leave because there was no accessible products and I was so frustrated and maybe a bit hormonal, but I was feeling this rage about how I had to leave my class because I was embarrassed that I'd forgotten a product but also that I couldn't access one.

[00:19:15] So I started a project at my university to have free menstrual products in bathrooms across campus, but also free access to reusable products. So a large portion of that is me doing tables in campus to educate people about what menstrual cups and discs are. And because of that, there has been an overwhelming amount of people that don't menstruate who have so many questions for me.

[00:19:36] And even people who do menstruate who never received that sexual or reproductive health education have questions for me, like, what is this? Why does that happen? So I kind of became a resource for my peers, but a large portion of that has been me roping in people in my community who don't menstruate into the conversation.

[00:19:57] So when I have my little wagon and I'm walking across campus with like 500 menstrual cups, I'm like, okay, you guys are coming with me and we're going to learn about this. And they have all sorts of questions. So it's been so amazing.

[00:20:08] I think what you were saying, Kristy, about like bringing products around and to not feel that shame of like I have to tuck it up my sleeve is so important. Because I have a a literal wagon full of products that I'm bringing across campus frequently so I have no shame around that.

[00:20:23] But that is just so important for those conversations. And I remember one time I was actually in a meeting and I had just come from a table where I was talking to students. So I had the example menstrual disc with me and I was kind of fidgeting with it because they're flexible and soft. It was a meeting with university officials and someone went, “Are you fidgeting with a menstrual disc?” And I was like, yes. That was more of an accident on my end. But it was fun to bring it into a space where that wouldn't have been a conversation normally to kind of bring people into how it works I think is really powerful. 

[00:20:55] Kristy: Period conversations are meant in every space. So it was super powerful to have a really important conversation in a non-traditional space and you made me think of a story I just heard so perfect timing. I was talking with one of our corporate partners involved with our outreach program. And they were sharing that one of their executive leaders was sitting in a board meeting and had gotten her period and didn't have any supplies in the office.

[00:21:20] So she had to call in an assistant to the middle of a high power meeting and ask for them to run to Shoppers down the street to get the supplies and come back. When the meeting conclude, she sent an email to the whole leadership team and realizing there were no products on their campus for their employees, and they are continually trying to recruit women into an industry, the next executive leadership team decided to outfit the washrooms as needed and keep those stocked. So we think of a corporate boardroom as not the quote unquote appropriate place to have those conversations but it's definitely the right place because those are the leaders of an organization.

[00:22:02] So anytime we're in a space with people that can make change, it's worth bringing up the conversation. And change will often quickly happen if it's not maliciously presented but in a great way presented because it's often something people don't think about. If you don't menstruate, you don't think about needing to have a pad on you all the time or what happens if you don't. It's really just an awareness building that leads to change around at least access to supplies. Yeah, I am just inspired by all the times I hear I was just at a table and something happened and I needed to have the supply and I didn't so I asked. Just ask. 

[00:22:42] Olivia: Yeah. That's so true. I love that you highlighted that every spot is okay to be talking about periods.

[00:22:49] Shreya: ​I was right now just reflecting on my own allyship to other menstruators and thinking about like what am I doing to ensure that I can support folks? Sometimes when I don't have products and I ask other people, some people only carry tampons, some people only carry pads. I'm like maybe I should just invest and have extra products on me of different kinds because we all menstruate differently, like I should be doing that as an ally.

[00:23:16] But I guess that highlights how important it is to call people into these types of conversations. Because I did not consider any of these things before both of you just said it out loud. And I am somebody who is actively engaged in the sexual reproductive health space. So let's consider anyone who isn't.

[00:23:32] Kristy: A great thing coming down the pipeline for us at the Period Purse is we're working on a washroom audit tool that anybody can use to go into any washroom that they have access to that really looks at like the safety and security around menstruating in washrooms across our communities. And that's another great way to open a conversation with business owners and decision makers on can we have supplies out and available?

[00:23:55] Hopefully this tool will help back up some people that want to start those conversations and say, I did a quick audit, a quick scan of our washroom, and we have soap, we have toilet paper, but we don't have a receptacle in the stall for us to throw our period supplies. So yeah, we're working on the final details of that to come but check out social. The Period Purse is really hoping to open up some of those conversations and help menstruators become allies to themselves and allies to other menstruators as well.

[00:24:27] Shreya: Absolutely. I was also thinking about something I've seen recently in corporate spaces where people are making like a wellness room or a decompression room. I think it's really special to have that sort of space with comfortable chairs or dimmable lighting and things like that to make people just feel more comfortable,

[00:24:46] I think another thing to consider is like how you explained that we should refer to folks as menstruators, having those products available everywhere; they're not just going to be in a particular gendered washroom. They're going to be available throughout buildings and spaces where anyone can access them. I've worked at a company that created that sort of wellness space and has access to products there and I thought that was really, really cool because not only could I go there to rest, I could go there to replenish if I didn't have any products myself. So I'd love to see that in more corporate spaces.

[00:25:19] Kristy: I love the idea that they're out in the open where there is no barrier for anybody to grab what they need because often if you're non-binary, having to even ask for supply, any of those barriers to just know where they are could be a stop to anybody asking or accessing what they need.

[00:25:38] And I would challenge any corporation to think about a menstrual health policy. So whether that's a day off a month for anybody that menstruates, whether that's a work from home on menstruating days policy so that people can be near to the supplies they're most comfortable with in a space they're most comfortable with, flex hours, if it's possible. I think corporations can really step up their game in supporting menstrual equity for their employees through policies around how to work when you're on your period and how to balance that workload when sometimes it can be very overwhelming.

[00:26:11] Olivia: For sure that is so important. I'm so excited to see this washroom audit toolkit because I think that highlights a really important piece of period equity, having access to washrooms that lock, having access to running water and soap and spaces where you're actually able to change your product to have safe period experiences.

[00:26:30] Kristy: One hundred percent and that was one of the pushes for Menstrual Health Day, so we don't call it menstrual hygiene day anymore because we are trying to remove that dirty stigma behind menstruation, but yes absolutely safety and security and then clean facilities is a challenge even in some communities across Canada.

[00:26:49] It does happen every day. I often witness unclean washroom facilities where that is not safe for anybody to have a menstrual experience. So yeah, it's a real international movement. We especially at the Period Purse are trying to really support Canadians to see Canada really lead a change towards menstrual equity in the global space.

[00:27:11] Olivia: That's amazing. We've talked a lot, as YPEC (the Youth Champions) about different trends we're seeing in Canada but also internationally around menstruation. So I know a big piece that I've been reading a lot about is the price of products. I'm wondering if there are any trends in Canada but also like a new rise in a positive trend or something that you're seeing that you're like, oh, this is awesome?

[00:27:37] Kristy: Yeah. Alright, so one great trend I am so excited by is we lead a Menstrual Health Day campaign every year at the Period Purse. And we write to cities across Canada to issue proclamations declaring May 28th Menstrual Health Day. And every year we get an increasing number of positive responses so that is fantastic. Along the same lines, we have flags that we send out to cities to raise awareness and monuments and buildings across the country light up red on Menstrual Health Day. So it is amazing that people are really inspired to participate. Another big win I see in the space is more comfort at a younger level about asking questions around periods. If there is one thing social media has taught us to do, a silver lining I guess, is to be a little more forward in posting questions and creating conversations.

[00:28:38] And probably not great to do it with strangers or not with great medical advice. But that barrier seems to be coming down of wait, I've got a question nobody told me. So the kids are really good about asking that. As well when we do our programs in school we request that genders aren't separated so that the full class stays together to hear the period conversation.

[00:29:01] And we are seeing an increase in allyship at a younger level. So hoping to combat the stigma before it becomes stigma. And through our conversations with community partners, a lot of them have said, oh, I feel really inspired to go home and tell my partners, my sons, my dad what I need about my period.

[00:29:21] Just think of the community that we're building when we've educated over 11,000 people. So that's a lot of period conversations if each one of those people talks to one more person, millions of people are going to be educated around periods if we all just have a great conversation. So I love that. We've seen at the federal level now that the Women and Gender Equity Group has received a minister. So it's a thing that will be sticking around and will lend support to a lot of the research and the conversations that need to happen around women and gender equity initiatives in the country. It's really exciting to see that and to get to meet with that team and see what their mandate and their goals are for the next couple of years is high on our priority list. Then one trend that I think we all need to keep our eye on is exactly what you brought up, Liv, is the cost of products.

[00:30:15] So, we're seeing through, you know, our everyday lives on the news that we have inflation around supplies on the shelf, but if we step back, there are materials that go into creating supplies. So those are getting taxed. The shipping and tariffs around importing goods or materials is going to affect period supplies. Employment, wages and policies are definitely playing into store shelf prices. So how does that affect those menstruating not in a major city? Then we go through elections all the time and taxes are always part of the conversation. And menstrual products are often one that gets tossed into a tax bucket.

[00:31:00] A lot of people want to tax them and we absolutely should not be taxing menstrual products. It's an essential product for 51 per cent of the community across Canada. That's on our radar to make sure that the quote unquote ‘tampon tax’ or the ‘pink tax,’ depending on who you're talking to just doesn't get implemented.

[00:31:17] Again, we don't tax period products in Canada, thankfully. But that can change with a swipe of a pen. So I think we all need to hold our elected officials responsible to responsibly spend the budget that we're entrusting them to spend. And that doesn't mean increasing our taxes on menstrual products.

[00:31:35] Shreya: Another positive thing that I've seen on the local level is my younger brother, his school just started talking about sex ed and he said that they didn't split up their classes and nobody was awkward. People were actually really interested and very curious to learn about one another and like what each other experiences. That was really refreshing to hear because I remember when I was younger it was definitely like things people would make fun of, people would, giggle at, you know, make snarky little comments to one another. But yeah, I thought that was a really big win, especially coming at such a young age. 

[00:32:05] Kristy: Huge win.

[00:32:07] Olivia: Yeah, I think that really shows that trickle down effect that these conversations are creating change. So I think that's really cool.

[00:32:13] Shreya: Yeah.

[00:32:14] Kristy: And normalizing change to just be what it is.

[00:32:15] Olivia: Yeah.

[00:32:18] Kristy: It’s just life. 

[00:32:19] Olivia: It's just life. I love that.

[00:32:22] Shreya: Okay, we're almost at the end of our episode but I wanted to ask you one more thing, which is what is one thing that you wish that everyone knew surrounding menstrual equity?

[00:32:32] Kristy: So hard to choose one thing; I'm going to give you two. I think everybody should know that we can all play a part in menstrual equity. One thing I wish everybody knew is come to the table, you're invited. I want you to be part of the menstrual equity movement. And my second thing is this is an everybody journey. So check in with your friends, your family members, your colleagues. I just wish everybody would learn how to be comfortable in that space, that we don't have to worry about the stigma. We don't have to worry about being embarrassed. Let's just start uplifting each other. It's a journey we're all on together. It's just life.

[00:33:10] Olivia: That's so beautiful. Thank you.

[00:33:13] Kristy: Thanks for having me. This is so much fun. 

[00:33:14] Shreya: Thank you so much for your time today and sharing everything, the wealth of knowledge that you bring to this conversation surrounding menstrual equity. I learned so much about all the different things that I want to do because now I'm empowered to think about building in menstrual health policies in the place that I work and reaching out to my city and seeing if they're going to actually recognize May 28th as a day to celebrate and something that we should start conversations about. So thank you so much and hopefully all of our listeners learned a few things about what the Period Purse does and how they can empower their fellow menstruators. And for those folks who are waiting for our secret word, the secret word of the day is going to be ‘period’. So that will all play into something at the very end of the season. Make sure to listen to all of our episodes for the secret word as well. 

[00:34:05] Olivia: Thank you so much, Kristy, and thank you to all of our listeners and we'll see you next time.

[00:34:10] Jacqueline: Thanks for listening to SHE SOARS. If you liked this episode, please share it on social media, connect with us in the comments or give us a like.

[00:34:17] Paniz: Make sure to catch our next episode by subscribing to our channel and following us wherever you get your podcasts.

[00:34:23] Jacqueline: Follow @CARECanada on Instagram for updates on our show and the project.

[00:34:28] Paniz: SHE SOARS stands for Sexual and reproductive Health and Economic empowerment, Supporting Out-of-school Adolescent girls’ Rights and Skills in Kenya, Uganda and Zambia.

[00:34:38] Jacqueline: The project is funded by Global Affairs Canada. Check out our global partner organizations: The Center for Reproductive Rights and Restless Development for even more project updates. 

[00:34:47] Paniz: Thanks again for listening. Until next time!