Edinburgh Napier students tackling period poverty go global

A creative collective that aims to raise awareness of period poverty has taken its campaign to East Africa to film a documentary capturing the team’s campaign alongside global efforts in the menstrual movement.

Members of Bleedin' Saor took a 10-day trip to Uganda to speak to international organisations about tackling period poverty.

A creative collective that aims to raise awareness of period poverty has taken its campaign to East Africa to film a documentary capturing the team’s campaign alongside global efforts in the menstrual movement.

Bleedin’ Saor, made up of Product Design, Film and TV students as well as staff members from the Edinburgh Napier’s School of Arts and Creative Industries, was formed earlier this year to drive a campaign to put an end to the stigma surrounding ‘that time of the month’.

The team made a 10-day trip to Uganda to meet with organisations who are fighting for better period product provision, gender equality and women’s’ rights for a documentary project.

Members of Bleedin' Saor took a 10-day trip to Uganda to speak to international organisations about tackling period poverty.

They met with members of the Girl Up Initiative, which aims to empower women and girls and highlights the issue of gender-based violence and Irise International which aims to create menstruation friendly schools.

They were also able to share ideas with Maka Pads, a social enterprise producing sanitary pads using locally-sourced papyrus.

Lindsay Morgan, placements co-ordinator and member of Bleedin’ Saor said: “Over the course of the project, we’ve learned so much about the period positivity movement and we’re really proud that Scotland led the way in providing free products for girls and women in education.

“The individuals and organisations we met in Uganda were incredible, their dedication to gender equality and the development of sustainable menstrual products is inspirational.”

Bleedin Saor’ have also worked on a number of other initiatives closer to home including the design of a new period product dispenser for Napier’s student-facing toilets and the organisation of the first University Bloody Big Brunch event, which was an event to tackle period poverty by exchanging free Bloody Mary’s for period products.

Cosima de los Arcos, student and documentary director, said: “Coming to Uganda allowed us to experience another dimension of period poverty.

“The methods of fighting the stigma, raising awareness and increasing access to feminine products whilst empowering women has taught us how to develop and improve our campaign in Scotland.”

Their documentary, titled the Big Bloody Documentary is due for release in 2020.