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.
Menstrual Health
The Surprising Truth We Learned At City Hall
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.
Meeting Mary (Coyle)
by Jemma
Mary Coyle helping Rikers Island
by Io
Jennifer Gone Public
by Io
![](https://blog.lrei.org/social-justice/files/formidable/5/26865455_356652514810463_3121799203890659328_n-2iv5tv3-150x150.jpg)
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.
Period Con Party!
by Io
![](https://blog.lrei.org/social-justice/files/formidable/5/IMG_0616-1a4u6vn-2j7kvgy-150x150.jpg)
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,”
Changing The Taboo In City Hall
by Io
History Of Periods With Liliana Tandon
by Io
![](https://blog.lrei.org/social-justice/files/formidable/5/Screen-Shot-2018-01-16-at-3.25.03-PM-1uk81ph-2gu66rq-150x150.png)
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?”
Interview with Mary Coyle
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.
Meeting Jennifer Weiss-Wolf
by Jemma
Interview with Jennifer Weiss-Wolf
by Zoe
Interviewing Sara Shoner
by Jemma
Interview with Sara Shoener
by Zoe
Learning About Periods Piece by Piece
by Olivia
Interview with Liliana Tandon
by Jemma
Interview with Liliana Tandon
by Zoe
Interview with Ingrid Nilsen
by Jemma
Ingrid’s Impact
by Io
Interviewing Ingrid Nilsen
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.
Period Con
by Jemma
Period Con
by Zoe
Interview with Ingrid Nilsen
by Zoe
We met with the YouTuber, Ingrid Nilsen, who interviewed President Obama about menstrual equity.
Participating in Period Con
by Olivia
![](https://blog.lrei.org/social-justice/files/formidable/5/download-1mztw83-150x150.png)
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!