We could give you dozens of reasons why 2021 has been a rather turbulent year. But let’s look at the bright side! This year, menstrual health has definitely gotten the attention it deserves, on all different levels. Here’s a list of seven awesome things regarding menstrual health awareness that happened in 2021:
Politics
1. No more tampon tax in the UK & Namibia
Tampons and pads are essential goods, not a luxury. Therefore, what could be a better start to the year than abolishing the tampon tax? That’s what happened in the UK on January 1, 2021. From this year onwards, menstrual products in the UK come with a zero rate of VAT (previously they were taxed at 5%). Ka-ching! Other places that have abolished the tampon tax in 2021 include the states of Louisiana and Vermont (both USA). Namibia (which had a 15% VAT on menstrual products) also got rid of the tax. Although this law was already announced in March 2021, it will go into effect in the 2022/2023 financial year.
2. Free period supplies almost everywhere
All across the world, there have been initiatives, fundraisers and other actions to combat period poverty. With result: in some places it’s now mandatory to supply free tampons and pads. Under The Period Products (Free Provision) Act 2021, local authorities and educations providers in Scotland must have free menstrual products available to anyone who needs them. Same goes for public schools in California (USA) under the Menstrual Equity for All Act legislation, which was signed into law in October and will go into effect in the 2022/2023 school year. The state of Washington has signed a similar bill for next school year, whereas the states of Virginia and Illinois already started providing free supplies.
In France, since February 2021 it’s mandatory for universities to dispense free tampons and pads. Also New Zealand has offered its students free access to menstrual supplies. From June 2021, all schools across the country could opt-in to the scheme to receive free period products. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared: ‘Young people should not miss out on their education because of something that is a normal part of life for half the population.’ Neighbouring country Australia started a similar trial in March in public schools in the state New South Wales and the entire city of Melbourne, through community spaces such as public bathrooms and libraries. Another initiative against period poverty that deserves a mention: supermarket chains Lidl (Ireland) and Morrisons (UK) have been handing out tampons and pads to customers in need.
Society
3. A new definition of menstrual health
Menstruation isn’t a dirty word. Menstruating women aren’t dirty either. However, this sometimes may be implied by using the words ‘menstrual hygiene’ – hence why ‘menstrual health’ is the preferred term. Terminology is important for a positive approach. Now there can be no more confusion or misunderstanding as the term ‘menstrual health’ has gotten a formal definition in 2021. It’s defined by the Terminology Action Group of the Global Menstrual Collective as ‘a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in relation to the menstrual cycle’.
Innovation
4. Femtech is growing: sustainable period products and more
2021 was a good year for innovation. In Tokyo (Japan) machines were installed that dispense free menstrual pads when you watch an advertisement. And all around the world, this year femtech has been focussing on more sustainable period products. After menstrual cups and organic tampons and pads being a hype since 2014, now period pants have taken over and become mainstream. Loads of stylish new brands were launched. What will be trending next year? The good old reusable pad? Smart tampons? We place our bets on more drug free solutions for period pain and – hopefully – medical treatments for menstrual complaints. Not only menstrual products, also smart educational tools were launched. Dutch medical student Yara Dixon developed a simple heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) symptom checker in four languages, for example. Also, we’ve seen new educational tools such as school programmes, comic books and games.
5. No more mansplaining. Period!
Not all inventions in 2021 were great. Pointless pink period products. That’s how we’d describe the Pinky Gloves with four words. These single-use (so not eco-friendly at all) pink (to show it’s for girls!) gloves (???) a woman should wear when removing her tampon were -of course- invented by a bunch of men. The product, presented in April 2021 in the German version of Dragons’ Den, impressed one of the male judges to invest € 30,000 in the company. However, the men soon got themselves into a bloody mess. Immediately Pinky Gloves was ridiculed all over social media: no more mansplaining in 2021, especially not when it comes to menstruation! End of the story: the company ceased to exist and the creators apologised for their stigmatisation of periods.
Science
6. More attention for the menstrual cycle in medical research
This year, thousands of women worldwide have reported menstrual irregularities after getting their Covid-19 vaccination. That actually doesn’t sound very nice. But bear with us. All these reports have led to more attention for the menstrual cycle when it comes to developing new vaccines or medicines. Medical scientific research’ much-needed wake up call results in more debate, awareness, funding and studies about the impact of the menstrual cycle. In other words: reducing the so called gender gap that exists in medical research. This gap was caused by the fact that laboratory animals (and in later research: human test subjects) were often male, since the menstrual cycle generated unpredictability in test results. As a result, medicines and treatments created with this research were tailored to a male body. Despite the fact that the female hormone fluctuations affect literally almost everything, from cardiac symptoms and migraine to athletic performance and sleep, the menstrual cycle was completely ignored… Not anymore though!
Culture
7. Periods in the picture across all art genres
What do Vlekkeloos, Seeing Red, Designing Motherhood and Der Tag, an dem ich meine Binde in den Dünen vergrub have in common? All fall in the ‘art & culture’ category, all could be admired in 2021 and all are about menstruation. Indeed, periods were very much in the picture in 2021. Vlekkeloos is a short film, directed by Emma Branderhorst, about the 15-year-old Ruby who can’t afford menstrual products. The drama Vlekkeloos (which translates as ‘Spotless’) made its debut on The Netherlands Film Festival in September 2021. It can be seen in February 2022 at the Berlin International Film Festival. Seeing Red is a short video campaign which came out in May 2021. It’s supposed to make its viewers so mad they’ll undertake action against period poverty.
Designing Motherhood: Things That Make and Break Our Births is an exhibition series about human reproduction which was featured at the Center for Architecture and Design from September to November, 2021. It can still be seen at the Mütter Museum (in Philadelphia, USA) until May 2022. The exhibition shows objects for birth, fertility and parenthood – including of course a menstrual cup. Der Tag, an dem ich meine Binde in den Dünen vergrub (which translates as ‘The day I buried my pad in the dunes’) is the title of a theatre parcours for kids over the age of 10 by Kindertheater Pfütze in Nürnberg (Germany). On 16 and 17 July 2021, the kids could learn about periods in all kinds of creative ways, such as art performances, sound shows and a quiz. More menstruation in theatre? These three inspiring Australian examples weren’t launched in 2021, but still deserve a mention! Last, but certainly not least: some submissions of our Period! contributors this year: a powerful period poem and a love letter to the uterus.
