Point Loma Nazarene University’s Center for International Development hosted a “Conversations on Menstruation” event to discuss menstruation, womanhood and their research on global menstruation equity, on April 15.
The CID, which is part of the Fermanian School of Business, works to address poverty around the world. The night brought together around 20 people who listened to a brief presentation about menstruation inequity and then participated in small-group discussions on personal experiences and broader perceptions of womanhood.
The event was co-hosted by Emma McHugh, who works for the CID, and Ceci Corona, a fourth-year international development major, who conducted a field study in Peru together, which focused on “period poverty.”
According to the Journal of Global Health Reports, period poverty refers to a lack of access to menstrual products, hygiene facilities, waste management and education, and affects women globally.
Hailey Fischer, a second-year biology major, attended the event and will be participating in the upcoming LoveWorks trip to Kenya this summer, which will be led by McHugh.
This year, the Kenya LoveWorks trip is centered around menstrual health access, and students will spend time learning about the lived experiences of women in local communities, Fischer said. Over the last few months of preparation for the trip, Fischer said she has been learning more about period poverty and the work the CID does.
“When I heard about this event, I knew it would be a beautiful event focused on what it means to be a woman,” Fischer said in an email interview.
Fischer said the event had a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
“Walking into the room, it felt like a gathering of friends who wanted to hear each other’s stories,” she said. “Being surrounded by such friendly and accepting women encouraged me to share about my experience.”
Annika Schramm, a second-year environmental studies major, works as the student assistant for the CID and helped advertise the night and read a poem. She said that as a team, they worked to make the event approachable and comfortable.
“The event felt very sacred,” Schramm said. “We shared very intimate aspects of what it means to be a woman.”
The questions and discussions spanned from comical first-period stories to the complexity of what it means to be a woman, especially when womanhood is something that has often been defined by men, Schramm said.
“We laughed, shared stories and reflected on womanhood in this world; it was incredible,” she said.
Charlie Lupo, a second-year environmental studies major, went to the event because she has spent a lot of time researching and advocating for awareness of unequal access for menstruation products.
Lupo said that despite talking about hard and personal things, the calming atmosphere of the night made it special and easy for her to share her own experiences. She said hearing other people’s personal stories was the most impactful thing about it for her.
“It can be easy to get wrapped up in my own experiences,” Lupo said. “But listening to other stories is crucial to understanding the broader context of being a woman.”
Schramm also highlighted how much it meant to have a space to listen to the experiences of the people who attended.
“I just kept sitting there thinking, ‘Wow, how lucky am I to get to be in a space like this, and be surrounded by such smart women and hear their amazing thoughts?’” Schramm said.
Adee Tulcan 
Ava Bailey-Klugh