The Pad Project and its fight to end period poverty
The Pad Project was created by a group of inspiring young people who are on a mission to fight Period poverty and the stigma around Periods in general. What began as a documentary has grown into a movement - a movement fighting for people who menstruate everywhere!
I spoke with Sophie Ascheim, a Co-Founder and one of the awe-inspiring people involved in this change-making project. I spoke to her about the creation of The Pad Project, their documentary Period. End of Sentence and what their plans are for the future.
MR: What inspired you to start The Pad Project?
SA: The inspiration for what would become The Pad Project was an article from Ms. Magazine, titled “For the Price of a Pad;” it detailed the lived realities of menstruators in African countries whose education was cut short after they reached puberty. The article mentioned that the cost of period care products was often too much for the family to comfortably afford, and in some cases, the price of a week’s worth of pads for one menstruator was equivalent to the price of enough milk to feed her entire family for that same week.
Choosing to feed your family or purchase what may seem to be a luxury item (pads), isn’t really a true decision to make—you have to feed your family. So, without access to pads, these young girls would use old rags, or even sometimes newspapers or leaves; unhygienic alternatives that can lead to infection and are not effective at managing blood flow. Without access to bathrooms during the day, or products to truly manage their periods, girls as young as 9 or 10 would then be unable to attend school while having their period. This much-missed school compounded by cultural traditions of child marriage and a lack of emphasis on girls’ education would often lead to these young girls dropping out of school entirely.
We recognised these signs in a community we were connected to through the Girls Learn International programme, an offshoot of the Feminist Majority Foundation. As we Skyped with the students of Action India’s school in the Hapur district of India, many girls would be present for several months, and then not return. We inquired with their teachers if lack of access to menstrual products was contributing to dropout rates, and found out that in India, not only is menstruation heavily taboo, most families and schools do not discuss the biological processes of menstruation or educate girls on what changes their bodies are going through. These conversations are what led to our understanding of just how deep issues of period poverty really run; this was no longer just about ensuring access to a sufficient number of pads but trying to change a global mindset. As a handful of high schoolers, we may have been biting off a bit more than we could feasibly hope to accomplish, but nothing was going to stop us from trying.
MR: How did you come up with the name?
SA: Naming The Pad Project was somewhat of a meandering process. We were very focused on finding solutions to as many aspects of period poverty as possible but knew that such a nuanced and multifaceted global phenomenon would not be easily encompassed by a simple phrase or title. We focused on the solutions we were pursuing with our partners in India, making pads accessible. From there, The Pad Project was born.
MR: Can you tell me a little more about your ambassador programme?
SA: The Ambassador Programme is one of our newest initiatives. The programme is designed to unite a community of passionate individuals from around the world who are ready to break the stigma surrounding menstruation and turn their passion for equity into action. The Ambassador Programme fosters a way for new and life-long menstrual equity advocates to come together to learn about period poverty, develop leadership skills, and form new friendships. This past year’s Ambassadors were part of our inaugural class and we could not be more thrilled with how the programme ran. In some ways, the forced online existence that we were all facing due to the pandemic allowed us to think more broadly than we could have in the past; the programme is run entirely virtually, which allowed us to have more than 29 countries represented, as well as numerous states here in the US. We’ve just closed the application for the 2021-2022 programme and are blown away by the amazing individuals who want to advocate for menstrual equity in their communities. The Ambassador programme is proof of more than just how universal period poverty is, it is proof of how many people are getting involved in changing that narrative and making period poverty a thing of the past.
MR: “This is something only God knows, the bad blood comes out…” and “It’s an illness.” These lines really stood out to me at the beginning of the documentary and summed up how ingrained this stigma is in our society. The Academy Award-winning documentary Period. End of Sentence was remarkable, it was rather alarming and overwhelming to watch.
SA: Those lines stuck out to our team as well.
MR: MR: In creating this piece what did you learn and what stood out to you the most?
SA: The process of creating Period. End of Sentence. and working with the women of Kathikhera was incredible, overwhelming, and eye-opening. Perhaps the most important takeaway from our initial review of the footage was just how deep the stigma truly ran, and that there was so little understanding of what menstruation really is. These understandings were really a wake-up call for our team: a stark reminder that period poverty pervades all corners of the world, and that creating access to period care products is only a part of any solution. In reviewing the documentary footage and sharing it with others, it became apparent that almost all menstruators could relate to these women; many of our circumstances are different, but the relief in the face of the independence that period care products can provide is global; the baffled frustration when faced with non-menstruators distinct lack of knowledge or empathy for what periods can really result in; the innate connection to menstruators around the globe.
We immediately knew that creating this documentary and working with Action India and the women of Kathikhera wasn’t going to be a one-off. This was the beginning of a life-long commitment to menstrual equity.
MR: Your documentary was well received and instigated a much-needed conversation about period poverty - would you ever consider doing a series documentary similar to Period. End of sentence highlighting period poverty worldwide?
SA: We would absolutely consider that and have had many of those discussions over the years. As of right now, we are focusing our efforts on working with as many communities around the world as we can. Our goal is to ensure access to period care products and provide sustainable solutions for all menstruators. We of course continue to advocate and educate a wider pool of interested parties, but we can do that by sharing the stories of our international and domestic partners. We use social media to engage with people all over the world, and of course, continue to share Period. End of Sentence. as widely as possible. So, while a documentary series isn’t in the works right this minute, who knows what the future will bring!
MR: Can you tell me a little more about the pad machines you provide?
SA: We currently work with three different pad machine vendors, in order to meet the specific needs of our partner communities. Smart Enterprises and Saral Designs are both based in India, with Smart producing fully manual-operating machines, and Saral producing manual, semi-automated, and automated-operating machines. Our third vendor is based in the UK, Loving Humanity, and like Smart Enterprises, they too produce manual-operating machines. More information can be found on our website, along with a full breakdown of which initiatives are focusing on pad-machines or washable cloth pad programmes.
MR: What have been some of the ups and downs that you have encountered while building The Pad Project?
SA: Something that came with both incredible benefits and a host of complications was our age when we were first attempting to launch The Pad Project. At the time of our initial Kickstarter campaign, our core ‘team’ consisted of an English teacher, Melissa and six 15 to 17-year-olds. As a handful of high schoolers, our goals were way beyond our perceived capacities. But what we lacked in experience we made up for with enthusiasm and a Gen-Z skillset that rose to meet every challenge - what we didn’t know, we’d Google. We had the internet at our fingertips and utilised it without hesitation.
A major point in favour of our youth was our experience with social media and the digital world; we watched social media platforms change what professional media meant. YouTubers and their content were being taken seriously, and people armed with just an Instagram account were speaking up and making a difference; what was to stop us from doing the same? That sense of endless opportunity kept us going, far beyond where we thought we’d land.
That same youthful optimism also hindered us in a variety of ways. Not only did we have the logistical nightmare of school constraints, we were often scoffed at when reaching out for advice. Non-profit leaders and content experts were not amused by a gaggle of high school girls - to them, our attempts would never go anywhere, and they didn’t want to waste their resources on us, not when they could be working with proven teams and organisations. Looking back, it’s hard to blame them but then again, with young women like Greta Thunberg, Jazz Jennings, Amanda Gorman, Blair Imani, Emma Gonzalez, Malala Yousafzai, and more, maybe it’s past time for adults to stop underestimating today’s youth.
MR: Do you have any exciting new projects coming up?
SA: We always have new exciting projects coming up! But right now, we’re focusing on many of the programmes that were approved just before the pandemic began. We are working hard to ensure that these programmes can flourish, despite the COVID-shaped roadblocks that stunted their early days. What began as an initiative in Kathikhera, India, is now a flourishing international non-profit, with programmes in more than 10 countries and an additional dozen US states.
MR: Period poverty is an important issue and affects people who menstruate world wide, what can people do to help spread awareness and support The Pad Project?
SA: The most important thing for any audience to realise is the pervasive nature of period poverty. If there is income inequality, homelessness, food & water insecurity, widespread poverty, there will undoubtedly be period poverty. Given the taboo nature of menstruation, period care products often are not thought of when we seek to assist those in our community who are in need. If we don’t talk about periods or recognise how vital access to period care products really is, then they will be the perceived luxury that is first eliminated from a struggling family’s budget. But without those pads, that young girl will face increased challenges at school, maybe even leading to her leaving school entirely and dropping out. Without those pads, the single mother working three minimum wage jobs will have to miss shifts and losing her job may very well mean losing her home or her children. Without easy access to those pads, a homeless menstruator may very well turn to unhygienic alternatives, or use products past their extended suggested use, leading to health complications that often go without treatment.
The easiest and most important thing that any of us can do in order to alleviate period poverty is to ensure that periods and period care products become part of the common vernacular. Ask your coworker for a tampon, but don’t whisper this time. Let your teacher know that you’re having some pretty serious cramps and are going to need to grab some medicine from the nurse before you can participate in soccer practice. Continue to donate necessities to your local shelter but throw in a box or two of pads to your donation kits. Steps like these bring periods into the cultural zeitgeist and can significantly impact how period poverty is treated by legislators and those with the power to create systemic change.
MR: Do you feel like religion and misogyny play a part in the quality of information we are given about periods in school?
SA: Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes, and misogyny is an inescapable part of our patriarchal society. From school-sponsored education to the entirety of our healthcare systems, male bodies are considered standard. Given that male bodies don’t menstruate, it would be foolish to think that menstruators can as easily navigate systems built in spite of their bodies. Our healthcare system (in the US) is based on an average individual, a White male body. This leads to medical advancements being developed based on a fairly narrow slice of the population, failing to take into account how centuries of systemic oppression and harm have led to BIPOC individuals developing different medicinal responses to their White counterparts. As previously mentioned, until recently, most advancements were created for the male body and female bodies were not prioritised in clinical testing because the different hormones produced by female bodies was considered to be inconvenient. This lack of diversity in clinical advancements means that standard procedures or treatments might be ineffective or ineffective for BIPOC male and female bodies. 1 in 10 menstruators in the US have endometriosis, but it can take on average 7 to 10 years to receive an accurate diagnosis. Black menstruators are significantly more likely to deal with uterine fibroids than White menstruators. Conditions like PMDD, PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids are not standard parts of reproductive educational teachings, though they impact millions of menstruators in the US alone. Most schools perpetuate a narrative of a normal period, leading to fear and confusion when most menstruators don’t have textbook cycles or periods. Additionally, in some states in the US, the content of sex-ed courses doesn’t have to be medically accurate. And, as you posed in your question, religion can often play a significant role here.
Many dominant religions have restrictive views on sex and sexuality, promoting abstinent ideologies. While that is not in and of itself harmful, perpetuating the belief that learning about sex and reproductive biology will lead to sinful thoughts or other such stereotypes is harmful. Knowledge about one’s own body is crucial, and to suggest that bodies, or bodily functions, are connected to sin or concepts of evil is incredibly damaging. All three of the main Abrahamic religions have references to menstruation as dirty or unnatural in their main theological texts. The first Latin encyclopedia has similar references. Hindu texts also perpetuate these narratives.
Regardless of what anyone religion might state, understanding your body and removing shame from your thoughts about your body is not evil or unnatural. In fact, it’s the most important journey we can undertake.
MR: What advice would you give to young menstruators who are struggling to talk about their period due to the stigmatisation and misinformation we are confronted with daily?
SA: Perhaps the most important thing we can say is that periods are not shameful! Some consider them to be beautiful and some find them to be inconvenient or annoying. Periods can be all of those things and more, and how you define your relationship with your body and your period is entirely personal. That being said, arm yourself with as much accurate information as possible! When combating stigma and misconceptions, knowledge is your greatest tool. Find resources that you trust and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Unlearning years of misinformation and stigmatisation doesn’t happen overnight, so give yourself a break.! We are all learning and unlearning together.
MR: Would you ever delve into the world of sustainable period products?
SA: That is a question we encounter frequently! The answer is somewhat nuanced. Washable (or reusable) pads are a fantastic and eco-friendly alternative to disposable menstrual products, and actually make up a large percentage of our international programming. You can make them yourself or purchase them from a local vendor, supporting small businesses and often saving some money over time. However, washable pads do not work for all menstruators, specifically ones who don’t have access to clean water or the ability to completely dry the pads. It is vital that washable pads are properly cleaned in order to reduce the risk of infection.
Additionally, assuming that all menstruators are able to use pads (reusable or not) makes a number of assumptions about their bodies and how they function. Many disability rights advocates have spoken about how pressuring communities to adopt "eco-conscious" and reusable products is not viable for all bodies. This means that sometimes the disposable option is necessary.
At the end of the day, what’s most important to us is that all menstruators can easily access the right menstrual products for them. Being period positive means supporting the ability to choose. So, while it is up to all of us to ensure that we are making as many eco-conscious decisions as we can, pressuring or blaming the individual is not the answer. Collaboration is one of our core values, and to us, this means doing thorough research with each of our partners and their communities, to ensure that we are setting up programmes that actually meet their demonstrated needs, and that wherever possible, we are limiting our environmental impact.
MR: Name three things you can’t do without?
SA: Iced Coffee (no explanation needed). Baking! I’ve always been an avid baker, but my confectionary creations were sporadic; since the beginning of the pandemic, I’ve been baking Challah with my mum each Friday. After more than a year of this, I now find the weekly routine to be calming and I appreciate the time to create something that my family, friends and I will enjoy for whatever version of a Shabbat dinner fits our needs - a time to reflect and relax with each other, a distinct marker in an otherwise blurred timeline. I’m planning on continuing my Challah making when I return to college this Fall. Rewatching The West Wing and New Girl on an almost continuous loop.
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