Hey everyone,
I just had my debut on Ugandan national radio where we spoke about menstruation! I of course spoke about our work and how something as natural shouldn’t hold any girl back from school. The most important part was the conversations I had with the listeners calling in.
I started the radio show by saying the words vagina and menstruation now that we’re about to produce organic reusable pads that are more sensitive for our vaginas. One of the callers told me how great it was to hear me use these two words and how important it is that we call these for what they are and not give them nick names. I asked him which words he was referring to. “Well the words you just used about those things.” I asked him if he meant vagina and menstruation, which he responded yes to. I said it’s okay to say vagina and menstruation out loud. No shame in that! Half of the world has those two things! He hesitates and half way through the show he starts to say vagina, and menstruation, which we of course applauded.
Another caller told us that he will for the first time buy his wife a package of pads after our radio show.
He explained that he would never have done this in the past, but after our show he realized that there’s no shame in buying pads to his wife.
These conversations are so necessary and important and it is just as important to have them with men, as taboos and stigmas regarding menstruation won’t disappear if we only teach girls and women about it. We also need to include the ones they share their everyday with, so they too will have a better understanding of our bodies.
Thank you to Radio 100 FM and the Amazing @byg_pappi for having me!
