Plan UK Menstruation: Let’s talk. Period

This project aims to combat period poverty my researching and producing resources that advance knowledge in the menstruation education, health, policy, and advocacy sector.

Researchers

Research background

Period poverty refers not only to (economic) hardship with accessing period products but also to the poverty of education, resources, rights and freedom from stigma for girls and menstruators (1). The briefings will expand on Plan International UK’s 2018 ‘Break the Barriers’ report findings, specifically those concerning the ‘toxic trio’ and issues of stigma, costs and access to period products, and poor (menstruation) education that create and sustain period poverty (2). Collectively, the briefings will summarise and share academic, practitioner, and girls’ and menstruators’ expertise knowledge to generate recommendations that:

Centre girls’ and menstruators’ own defined priorities and needs;
Collate and summarise best (established) practices and latest innovations;
Provide approaches that ensure menstruators are included in period poverty initiatives;
Provide tools for documenting, evidencing and evaluating the impact of period poverty programmes.

Research aims

To produce four Menstruation Learning Briefings that collate, share and ultimately advance knowledge in the menstruation education, health, policy, and advocacy sector. The proposed briefings will serve as the most up-to-date and robustly evidenced resource for those working towards ending period poverty in the UK.

Results

Informing professionals, organisations and individuals about good practice regarding tackling period poverty in different settings.
Helping organisations seeking to monitor the impact of their local projects.
Identifying UK & international projects that are finding innovative ways to tackle period poverty by addressing the ‘toxic trio.’
Identify UK “big picture” approaches e.g. mapping provision and sharing results.
Inform Plan International UK’s work on menstruation in the UK.