Northwestern PERIOD rebranded as Northwestern Menstrual Equity Activists last fall, a change that corresponds with a move from college chapters across the country to disassociate from the national PERIOD organization.
Founder Nadya Okamoto was criticized in an article by activist Ileri Jaiyeoba and other activists on social media for not recognizing the work of grassroots organizers and menstruators of color.
Meghna Gaddam, president of MEA, said the change also represents a shift away from a corporate system with national oversight and instead emphasizes inclusive, grassroots organizing.
“Equity is all encompassing. It’s education, it’s access, it’s advocacy,” Gaddam said. “So we were super excited that our name represented more of what we wanted to do.”