The video addresses the persistent stigma and taboo surrounding menstruation, highlighting the impact of societal norms that make open discussion about periods challenging. The speaker emphasizes the need for normalization and education about menstruation, sharing personal anecdotes and discussing how cultural backgrounds can influence these conversations. The speaker also mentions statistics showcasing the disparity in access to period products and the associated embarrassment, illustrating the broader social issue.

The content stresses the importance of educating young women on their menstrual cycles, not just periods, but the entire cycle, to empower them and change the narrative surrounding periods. The speaker discusses her own journey in understanding and embracing menstruation, highlighting the gap in conversations about women's health and the importance of confidence in self-awareness.

Main takeaways from the video:

Please remember to turn on the CC button to view the subtitles.

Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. menstruation [ˌmɛnstruˈeɪʃ(ə)n] - (noun) - The process in a woman of discharging blood and other material from the lining of the uterus at intervals of about one lunar month from puberty until menopause, except during pregnancy. - Synonyms: (period, menstrual cycle, monthly cycle)

menstruation, after all, isn't a disease.

2. taboo [təˈbuː] - (noun / adjective) - A social or cultural prohibition or ban; considered forbidden or unacceptable by popular societies. - Synonyms: (prohibition, ban, restriction)

In cultures and society all around the world, periods are seen as a taboo.

3. amplify [ˈæmplɪˌfaɪ] - (verb) - To increase the volume or intensity of something, particularly sound or light. In a broader sense, to make something more prevalent or powerful. - Synonyms: (intensify, enlarge, magnify)

So we need to really kind of think about how to amplify the conversation.

4. privilege [ˈprɪvəlɪdʒ] - (noun) - A special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group. - Synonyms: (advantage, benefit, prerogative)

Now I'm in a position of privilege where I've always had access to period products.

5. stigma [ˈstɪɡmə] - (noun) - A mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person. - Synonyms: (shame, disgrace, dishonor)

And getting pregnant at such a young age was a massive stigma.

6. empower [ɛmˈpaʊər] - (verb) - To give someone the authority or power to do something; to make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights. - Synonyms: (authorize, enable, equip)

I want to just think about how we can empower girls and young women to feel more confident about their bodies.

7. vulnerable [ˈvʌlnərəbl] - (adjective) - Susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. - Synonyms: (susceptible, defenseless, exposed)

There's a beauty in being vulnerable.

8. graphic designer [ˈɡræfɪk dɪˈzaɪnər] - (noun) - A professional who creates visual content to communicate messages by applying visual hierarchy and layout techniques - Synonyms: (visual designer, layout artist, creative designer)

When I was a design student, where I am now an educator, one of the first things that we were taught is graphic designers are problem solvers.

9. phase [feɪz] - (noun) - A distinct period or stage in a process of change or forming part of something's development. - Synonyms: (stage, period, time)

I know that you've got the menstrual phase, the follicular phase, the luteal phase, and the ovulation phase.

10. equity [ˈɛkwɪti] - (noun) - The quality of being fair and impartial. - Synonyms: (fairness, justice, impartiality)

You know, people wanted to highlight this kind of call that we need more equity, we need more justice in the world.

Why we need to talk about periods - Millie Mensah - TEDxCroydon High School GDST

Periods, a natural, normal bodily function that women all over the world experience every day. It's our way of knowing that that month we're not pregnant. So why is it such a challenging conversation to have? menstruation, after all, isn't a disease. Sometimes I think it would be more straightforward if when we get our periods, perhaps our eyelashes could grow thicker and fuller or, I don't know, we have more of a natural glow to ourselves.

Think about it. It's quite a creative way that for an average of two to seven days, the lining of our uterus decides to shed all over the place. However, these are just suggestions and nature has prescribed the way. So how can we make girls and young women feel less ashamed about bleeding? Well, firstly, we need to normalize the conversation. In cultures and society all around the world, periods are seen as a taboo. And in some places they're not even acknowledged.

Women have no choice but to have periods. So we need to really kind of think about how to amplify the conversation. Now I'm in a position of privilege where I've always had access to period products, to education to an extent, and access to safe spaces. There are many women in the UK that aren't able to afford period products, don't have that education and that information. A recent survey by ActionAid stated that 21% of women were not able to afford periods. And this was over.

This was in 2022, 23. That figure had risen from the previous year at 12%. Now, 28% of women were able to access period products at school or at work. However, 17% of them wouldn't go to work or school. They would stay at home whilst they were on their period. And a final stat for you, 22% of the respondents were embarrassed by their period and that figure was up from 8% from the previous year. So imagine not being able to access products, not really having the information and the knowledge, and then you've got, you know, the mental impact of periods and missing school, missing out on socializing, missing work.

It's all going to be a bit overwhelming. I want to think about how are we going to lift the cloud on being more transparent and open about periods. I remember when I told my mom that I got my period and I remember it as clear as day. And the first thing she said to me was, don't get pregnant. I was like, that's a bit of a strange thing to say. I was really confused. My body's telling me, you're ready for reproduction. And that was not happening.

I hated telling her every month that I was on my period, but I did, and she made sure I had the products. But that's as far as it went in terms of our conversation. Sometimes I thought, well, is it the Ghanaian culture that she was born into where, you know, periods and sex, it was massive taboo, you know, you don't think about it. So I spoke to some of my friends about their mother's reactions when they told them that they had started their periods. And it was pretty much the same.

So really it didn't matter where in the world your mother was born. Luckily, me and my mum, we had a very nice conversation and we spoke about her experiences with periods and mine and kind of that reaction that she had. When I said to her, do you remember what you said to me? She was like, no, I don't remember, but I'm not surprised that I said that. So my mom is one of six sisters, and you'd think growing up in a household, you know, majority females, that those conversations would be had, you know, the trials and tribulations of periods.

But she said that didn't happen. It was only ever really acknowledged because one of her older sisters had excruciating period pains, so we'd miss school and work. What was interesting that my mom said when I told her that I started my period, she was really upset. She actually said she cried on that evening and she was just like, I don't know how you're going to manage it, because she struggled to manage hers and quite clearly had to do that without any support. The sex education that my mother received was basically nil. It was just a stark warning of, don't get pregnant.

And, you know, it's just like, why isn't. Why. She kind of thought, why isn't there been. Why isn't there more of a conversation about what was going on? It was just like, don't get pregnant. Don't let a man touch you because now you're menstruating. It's a sign that you can get pregnant. And getting pregnant at such a young age was a massive stigma.

So there was a lot of confusion because people weren't being given the full information. She told me of a young woman that she knew growing up was on a bus. The bus was packed and she was right up next to a man and their clothes were touching. By the time this young woman got home, she was in floods of tears because she thought she was pregnant. She didn't understand the mechanics of what it takes to get pregnant.

A takeaway from the conversation I had with my mum, a very eye opening conversation was when it came to periods. My mum said, you just didn't want anyone to know, didn't want anyone to know that that was happening. The conversations of not talking about periods is clearly persistent through the generations. Earlier in the year, I went on holiday to Mykonos and I met a group of mums from South London and I got talking to one of the mothers who has two teenage girls and I was talking about my work as a designer and how I enjoy using my creativity on issues like periods, you know, women's health.

And when I was talking to her about it, she was just like, but why, why are you doing this? Like, you know, what's the need? You know, you just get on with it. Yeah, we do just get on with it. For thousands of years, women have been getting on with it, but I'm still there confused about this lack of wanting to talk about it. And I really want to change that narrative. Our bodies are amazing. You know, we have our periods but we're still going to work, going to school.

But we suffer from heavy bleeding, bloating, cramps, sore breasts, mood fluctuations. You know, it's a lot. And I want to just think about how we can empower girls and young women to feel more confident about their bodies. There's nothing to say that we can't talk about the pain, the discomfort, the impact it has on our mental health because really there's a beauty in being vulnerable. I remember having a conversation with my best friend Ruba, and she was saying when she gave birth to her first child, she just realized how powerful her body was.

And I kind of sat back and, you know, took stock and I was like, I've never really thought about my body being powerful, but, you know, what is our relationship with our bodies and the confidence or the lack of confidence? And I suppose what I'm trying to highlight is don't apologize for what your body can do, what your body is capable of. Obviously, as we grow, our body develops over different stages and yeah, confidence needs to be a part of that in order for us to understand what's going on, to understand ourselves and the world around us. Now, don't get me wrong, I know confidence fluctuates, it goes up and down, but surely that's part of the journey.

If we have that confidence, then surely we're going to be able to be more open to talking about periods. I want to actively promote the conversations about the positivity of periods now. Yeah, it sounds a bit alien, right? Like I'm still kind of getting used to thinking about my period more positively. And that's why in 2020, I joined a charity that aims to educate people about the menstrual cycle. Not just the period, but the whole cycle.

You know, the four different phases. You know, coming into that role as a designer, I didn't know much about the phases. I know that you've got the menstrual phase, the follicular phase, the luteal phase, and the ovulation phase. And I feel that if we're able to have more of an understanding of our phases, we can understand what's happening in our bodies. So, for example, with the luteal phase, which I was very aware of, it's also known as the premenstrual syndrome, pms. One day I'll be feeling really low and depressed and just like, why am I feeling like this? The next day I'll get my period.

And I'm like, oh, yeah, that's why. That's what's going on. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a realist. But I do believe that schools and education institutions need to support girls and young women with their periods. We need to be able to kind of advise them on, you know, how to manage your periods and when things aren't going right, where to go and get that information.

You know, it's about not being a victim to your period. It's about being empowered by it. A few years ago, I attended an exhibition at the Wellcome Collection called Cannes Graphic Design. Save your life. And I was like, yeah, this is it. This is how I want to use my design skills to raise awareness. When I was a design student, where I am now an educator, one of the first things that we were taught is graphic designers are problem solvers.

And I was like, okay, this sounds interesting. And, you know, we are there designers to make things look visually appealing and pretty. But I find that a lot of designers want to use their skills and pour their energies and passions into causes and issues that are important to them. And for me, that would be women's health. Now, I just want to show you a couple of slides because I want to just draw your attention to some pieces of design that I feel have had an impact on the world.

So firstly, we have. After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the mayor of Washington commissioned local artists to just create a mural that says Black Lives Matter on the road leading up to the White House. And her reason was, you know, she could see that there are a group of people who want their voices to be heard. They want their humility to be respected. And what's great about this particular piece of work is that it just sent sound waves across the globe.

And you'd find other people had done murals, whether it's on the wall, whether it's on the road. You know, people wanted to highlight this kind of call that we need more equity, we need more justice in the world. Another piece of design. Next slide. Thank you. So Stonewall are a LGBTQ charity, and in 2007, they created a campaign, again, very simple.

I love simple design. And they created this campaign with the simple words, some people are gay. Get over it. And I just love how unapologetic that is. You know, being a designer excites me. I love the opportunity it brings to amplify messages and, you know, having the skills to kind of understand what works well together, to engage audiences so they can really embrace, you know, the work that is in front of them is, you know, the reason why I love design so much.

I want to encourage society to recognize the natural process of menstruation as a positive and empowering thing. And I believe, as women, we can lead on that.

Education, Women Empowerment, Menstruation, Global, Inspiration, Health Awareness, Tedx Talks