Come May, Menstrual Equity Activists will distribute free menstrual cups on campus.
The initiative is in partnership with CampusCup, a national campaign for menstrual cup use on college campuses. Weinberg freshmen and rising co-presidents Irene Quan and Rhea Sharma said they’re spearheading the project to promote menstrual equity and sustainability at Northwestern.
The sign-up period will open from May 1 to 14. During this two-week block, MEA plans to host a speaker event to promote the project and educate students on the use and impact of menstrual cups, Quan said. MEA then plans to distribute the cups on May 28.
CampusCup was launched in June 2020 by the Danish menstrual cup company OrganiCup to combat period poverty and promote the use of sustainable menstrual products. According to Organicup’s website, its medical-grade silicone cups are a safer and more environmentally-conscious alternative to pads and tampons.
Reproductive health experts critiqued an Oscar-winning documentary on menstrual equity in India at a discussion hosted by Menstrual Equity Activists and Northwestern University Women Filmmaker’s Alliance on Thursday.
The discussion followed a showing of “Period. End of Sentence.,” which tells the story of women in a community in rural India learning to make pads with a machine, despite the cultural stigma around menstruation. Though the film won an Oscar in 2019, the documentarians have received criticism for their lack of focus on the systemic issues behind menstrual inequity.
According to MEA Vice President and Weinberg junior Mahie Gopalka, Dr. Shilpa Bhakare, a public health professional for the Indian government who could not attend the discussion, said this documentary is an example of the “American gaze,” meaning it was created for an American audience. MEA President Meghna Gaddam, also a Weinberg junior, said she thinks most Americans who watch the documentary do
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.”