Menstrual Health

Interview with Mary Coyle

by Olivia

We interviewed Mary Coyle about what she does for the incarcerated women at Rikers Island and how much access they have to the products they need.

by Olivia

We took the train to City Hall and went to the “bullpen” with Sara Shoener. We interviewed her about the legislative side of our topic and how her job affects menstrual equity.

by Jemma

We met her at Starbucks and met with Mary Coyle about incarcerated women’s lack of access to menstrual products and we talked to her about her role in the fight for menstrual equity.

by Io

We interview a social worker, Mary Coyle, who helps people on Rikers Island get products to manage their period. We asked her many questions about what is allowed to be used and how they access to products.

by Io

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf came to talk to our class about her book, Periods Gone Public – Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity. She told us about how she came to realize that menstruation was an issue, she saw it on a Facebook post. She told us about her struggles in changing the taboo, people thought periods were “gross”. And she told us about how we can make a change, talk openly about periods because it’s not something to be ashamed of. She was so inspiring to our group because she used her book to spread awareness about such an unspoken topic. That is what we are trying to do for our school. Afterwards, we interviewed her privately (with our group only) asked her questions like people she knows in the field, her new book coming out (Period: Twelve Voices Tell The Bloody Truth), and we asked her about one of her personal period stories.

by Io

we met with Sarah at Ramscale Studio for the first Period Con in history after a night at Olivia’s house. Zoe, Jemma, Olivia, and I all met will many inspiring people including Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal, Carinne Chambers (Founder and CEO of DivaCup International), Nadya Okamoto (Founder & Executive Director of PERIOD. The Menstrual Movement), Ingrid Nilsen (Lifestyle Expert and Online Video Personality), U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng, Nicole Cushman (Executive Director of Answer), Alma Gottlieb (Cultural Anthropologist), Damaris Lewis(Top Model and CEO of Gorudo Candles), David Linton (Co-Editor for the Society of Menstrual Cycle Research), Elizabeth Yuko (Health & Sex Editor at SheKnows), Eudora Olsen (PERIOD Programs Director), Alison Nakamura Netter (Chief Communications Officer of ZanaAfrica), Alaina Wayland (Educator in Buffalo, NY), Sarah Hillware (Founder and Executive of Girls Health Ed), Mari Malek (Model),Tracy Puhl (CEO – GladRags), Kenneth Alvandi (CEO – Maxim Hygiene), Siobhan Lonergan (VP of Brand for Thinx), Cathy Chapman (President of Lunette Cup), Cass Clemmer (Creator of Toni the Tampon), Jax Gonzalez (Ph.D. Student and Gender Studies Scholar), Mason Pierce (President of Portland Menstrual Society), Claire Coder (Founder and CEO of Aunt Flow), and Nancy Kramer (Founder of Free the Tampons). We heard panels from Menstrual Educators to people taking actions. One thing that I learned is how we should not use names such as “feminine hygiene products” because first of all, it’s not just women who use these menstrual products but anyone who menstruates. Second of all, the word “hygiene” sounds like it’s cleaning something dirty but Periods should not be seen as dirty, they should be seen as care products. Ingrid Nilsen (Lifestyle Expert and Online Video Personality) was one of the speakers that brought this to our attention, “… and not using terminology like feminine products because that’s just outdated and I think using language that actually captured what it is that we’re talking about, using the words that represent these actual products, so instead of saying feminine hygiene products, saying tampon or pad or menstrual cup, what ever it happens to be, say what it is. That within itself can be really huge,”

by Io

We visited City Hall to meet with the Commission on Gender Equity, Sara Shoener. We asked questions like if she knew about the tampon tax and if she knew why not to say the phrase “feminine hygiene products”.

by Io

We interviewed Liliana Tandon, the founder of Period Piece. Period Piece is a website with short clips of people getting their period throughout history and how the reaction to menstruation changed in time. Liliana and her friends made it not thinking that it was such a big issue, but made an impact and brought the attention to Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Women’s Health, Marie Claire France, India Today, and many more. We asked Ms. Tandon questions like why she made the site and how it affected people who don’t menstruate in her life. For example, “Did they feel comfortable helping her with the videos?” or “Did they willingly act in the clips?”

by Zoe

We met with Mary Coyle, a social worker who works with women at Rikers Island trying to get them equal rights, including access to menstrual products.

by Jemma

Jennifer Weiss Wolf came to our class and talked about her book and all of the activism she does. Then we went to the library and interviewed her.

by Zoe

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf came to speak to our class about her book, and then our group interviewed her.

by Jemma

We traveled to city hall and met with Sara Shoner, a senior policy advisor on the mayor’s board for gender equity. It was really cool to see city hall and everyone who works there. And at the end, the First Lady’s chief of staff took our picture.

by Zoe

We went to City Hall and we interviewed the Senior Policy Advisor for the Commission on Gender Equity, Sara Shoener.

by Olivia

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.

by Jemma

We interviewed Liliana Tandon who is the creator of Period Piece. She makes comedy videos about women getting their periods through time. It was really cool to learn all about her videos and how she got started.

by Zoe

We had an interview with Liliana Tandon, who is the creator of Period Piece. Period Piece is an organization that makes videos about people on their periods during different periods of time.

by Jemma

We interviewed YouTuber and Activist for Menstrual health Ingrid Nilsen. We met her at Period Con and we contacted her and she agreed to come to our school and give us an interview.

by Io

We interviewed Ingird Nilsen about her opinion and experience as an activist for menstrual equity. We had met with her at Period Con and set up an interview after listening to her, as the keynote speaker.

by Olivia

We meet with Ingrid in the learning lab and we asked her questions about how she got into menstruation activism and how she uses her YouTube channel to spread awareness about this topic.

by Jemma

I watched panels, got merchandise, met people, and learned about a bunch of organizations.

by Zoe

We went to the first ever Period Convention and we listened to so many amazing speakers and met many amazing women who are involved in the field we are interested in. They offered me an application for the summer internship, and it was all so amazing.

by Zoe

We met with the YouTuber, Ingrid Nilsen, who interviewed President Obama about menstrual equity.

by Olivia

We went to the convention and talked to many people from the different companies and organizations listed above about volunteer and/or interview opportunities and about our project. We also discussed internship/job opportunities with Nadya (Period Founder and Executive Director) and Eudora (Programs Director). We got an interview with Ingrid Nilsen as well!