Name: Olivia Bagan

Social Justice Group: Menstrual Health

Date of Fieldwork: January 16, 2018

Name of Organization: Period Piece

Person (people) with whom I met and their job titles: Liliana Tandon

Type of Fieldwork: Interview

What I did:

We met with the CEO of Period Piece, Liliana Tandon. We asked her about how she got started and how the taboo surrounding menstruation affects her life and work.

What I learned:

We learned that because Liliana was raised in a community where menstruation was not stigmatized. This allowed her to create a web series that would do the same. By growing up in an environment where periods were normalized, she was able to go out in the open and try to make more people feel the same way about menstruation.

What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:

If the generations to come are comfortable talking about periods, there would be more people like Liliana. For example, the stigma surrounding menstruation in places like India is so extreme that it is a common reason on why girls drop out of school. If people aren’t educated about their own bodies and health, this problem could become bigger than it already is. Therefore, education is the solution to demolishing the taboo.