Why the Stigma? Young People Talk Period Pride With Dr Rebecca Mawson
We were super excited to welcome a special guest, Dr Rebecca Mawson - Sheffield-based GP specialising in women’s health - to deliver a workshop open to all our young people who experience a menstrual cycle.
The wellbeing workshop took place at our centre, and aimed to break some of the stigma surrounding the topic of menstruation and empower the young people to talk, share, and seek support around their periods and the impact they have on their wellbeing.
Speaking about the importance of opening up these conversations, Dr Rebecca Mawson said, “It is essential for young people to feel empowered about their bodies and periods. I dream of a world where there is no stigma, fear or taboo around periods and menstrual wellbeing. Workshops like this hopefully open the conversation and sow the seed of normalising discussion.”
During the workshop, the young people had the opportunity to design their own uterus to reflect on how they feel about their period and how it affects their wellbeing. This creative outlet provided a discussion base for any questions to be asked and answered in a safe place. They also talked about the range of period products and their environmental impact. Each person who attended received a free set of Modibodi reusable period pants as part of the ‘Irise International Project’ who advocate to break the stigma surrounding periods and work to end period shame.
“I had a great time at the workshop and it was really informative. In the workshop I learnt how to be kinder to the environment whilst being on my period." - M, who attended the workshop.
Reflecting on the workshop, Kate, part of our wellbeing team, commented, "It was so wonderful to see how powerful it can be just to create the space and opportunity to talk about periods with such an open group. It baffles me that there can still be so much embarrassment in today's world just to talk about periods - never mind the impact it can have on our mental health and wellbeing. It was a great opportunity for young people to ask questions and feel fully supported in exploring how best to take care of themselves, and empower them to seek support when they are struggling."
A big thank you to Dr Rebecca Mawson for leading such a fantastic workshop! To find out more about upcoming workshops, or to book a place, take a look here!
A selection of the uteri which were designed by the young people taking part in the wellbeing workshop.