Fighting period poverty and fostering inclusivity were among the key issues raised at the Menstrual Equity Gala, which also featured the launch of a Best Practices Guide for promoting menstrual equity on Brock’s campus.

Hosted by the Student Justice Centre’s (SJC) Gender and Sexual Violence Support and Education team (GSV), part of Brock’s Office of Human Rights and Equity (HRE), the event took place Wednesday, March 26 in Pond Inlet.

The gala is the culmination of a collaboration between HRE and EmpowerUp, a grassroots movement founded by Muskaan Waraich, a fourth-year student with a double major in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies.

Waraich, who is also a Feminist Advocacy Peer Assistant with the SJC, approached Peer Assistant Kennedy Hance and Anti-Racism Advocacy Assistant Mabrukah Abdulmalik last fall with a proposal to raise awareness around menstrual equity issues by developing a Best Practices Guide.

Together, they set about planning activities throughout the school year to destigmatize menstruation and ensure that conversations on the topic were as inclusive as possible.

“Menstrual equity is not just about providing products, but it’s also education on what period poverty is and the stigma associated with it,” says Waraich.

From October to December last year, the team organized four sessions dedicated to discussing topics related to menstruation, including a virtual presentation from the Toronto not-for-profit organization The Period Purse.

To cast a wider net, the team launched a survey and encouraged students, faculty and staff to take part.

“Even if you’re not a menstruator, you probably love someone who is,” says Hance, a fourth-year Concurrent Education student. “It was very nice to see that people were willing to fill out the survey and give us information about what they knew, because it shows that menstruation is becoming less stigmatized.”

With all of that data in hand, the team set to work creating a Best Practices Guide focusing on access to sustainable menstrual products, education and inclusivity in both practice and language.

“A huge part of our menstrual equity discussions was debunking myths about menstruation,” says Abdulmalik, a third-year Medical Sciences student. “It’s really good to reach out to people who don’t menstruate, because they are most likely to believe menstrual myths and, because of the stigma, they might be scared to ask about it or get themselves informed.”

One of the ways myths get perpetuated, according to the team, is through use of terms like “feminine hygiene products” when referring to period products, language that reinforces outdated stereotypes that such products are gender-specific and that menstruation is unhygienic — myths that the Best Practices Guide aims to combat.

“We hope that this guide serves as a blueprint to ensure that Brock can continue to accelerate menstrual equity, not just through providing products but with ongoing conversation and continuous education,” says Waraich.

Attendees were asked to bring donations of personal care items and menstrual supplies for a local community shelter. They were then treated to an opening address from Abdulmalik before Hance shared the development process and Waraich presented the Best Practices Guide itself.

Anyone who missed the gala can contact the SJC about additional menstrual support events planned later this spring, including workshops on creating period self-care kits and making heating pads.