By Chelsea Kiefer, Daniela De Los Rios, Olivia Moore, and Alaena Mullarky (’26 Guest Writers)

As many of you may know, March is Women’s History Month. This is a month where we celebrate all of the contributions and accomplishments of women in the United States of America. National International Women’s Day also falls in the same month on March 8th. There are many ways to celebrate women during this month, including supporting women-owned businesses, volunteering with women non-profit organizations, or even wearing purple, the color of justice and dignity! Period history is one part of this historical month that can often be overlooked, however, many past issues persist today. Periods were seen as dirty and shameful to speak about, and the words period and menstruation along with other trigger words were banned from radio and television until 1972. Even advertisements for period products weren’t allowed until this time. Getting access to period products was also a difficult task due to the shameful stigma around menstruation, which is still prevalent today. In fact, doctors would often link menstruation to hysteria in the past, often citing women as emotionally unstable because of their periods. Unfortunately, many women are still faced with this attitude, being called moody and difficult. Even more so, women were banned from participating in sports and other extraneous activities during their periods because of this. It wasn’t until the 1890s that period products were first presented to the markets, and before this time many women used at-home remedies to aid with their monthly periods. Early products contained harmful chemicals that led to many diseases and deaths, which were also linked to misinformation on how to properly use the products and what was in them. Toxic Shock Syndrome is one deadly condition that can be caused by wearing a tampon for longer periods of time than recommended and has killed many in the past. Despite best efforts, this is still an issue today. Health effects aside, the cost of these products stands as a large issue. Our primary goal as the International Academy’s Period Club is to help end period poverty and stigma through service, education, and advocacy. Period products are a necessity, however, they are taxed, unlike food and other necessary goods. Did you know that about a quarter of teens struggle to afford period products and that only about 50% of teens say that they can find period products in school bathrooms? These facts are shocking, but they motivate us to help supply period products for the IA community. Our club funds the period cart in the ISC girls’ bathroom, and we hope to expand it to the other bathrooms! In addition, we are beginning to plan community outreach by gaining funds to donate products to local organizations. We hope to begin donating to impoverished communities in Detroit and other areas in Michigan because a woman should never have to choose between period products and a meal. If you believe in our mission, enjoy the period cart, or have ideas for improvement, please consider coming to one of our monthly meetings! There we will have enriching events like pad-making seminars, info sessions, bake sales, community volunteer opportunities, and much more! If you’d like to join our Google classroom, use the code pvljcti to learn more about our meetings, event schedule, and the chance to start your activism career!