Tackling Taboos that Exist Around Menstruation

Menstruation is still a taboo in many countries around the world, where it’s often considered embarrassing or shameful.

According to a recent survey (see: plan-uk.org/media-centre/period-emoji-wo...k-about-menstruation):

Two thirds of women don’t feel comfortable discussing their period with their dad or male friends.

More than 1 in 10 women don’t feel comfortable talking about it with their female friends.

A quarter of women don’t feel comfortable talking about it with their female peers at work.

Only one third of women would feel happy to speak about it with their female superiors at work.

Nearly half of women aged 18-34 say they would use an emoji – the popular digital icons used to represent everything from emotions to food – to represent their period, if there was one available.

To break the taboos that still exist around menstruation, Plan International, UK, has designed five icons that will be put to the public vote on social media. The winning designs will be submitted to the California-based consortium that manages the distribution of emojis worldwide.

Plan International UK's five period emoji designs include a sanitary pad, a uterus, a pair of period pants, a monthly calendar and period blood droplets.

F H Mughal