An interview with Sarah Smidi, PERIOD Youth Advisory Council member
By Ilaria Biancacci
Womxn bleed and it’s a biological process. It’s a fact and a lived experience of many. Sadly, menstruation is still stigmatized and not openly discussed. The way many people talk about periods suggests that they are something to be ashamed of and kept secret. The media’s portrayal of menstruation often feeds into this narrative too and so many womxn still don’t have access to sanitary products.
Did you know that 137,700 girls in the UK miss school because they cannot afford or don’t have access to essential sanitary products? Tampons, sanitary pads, and menstrual cups are categorised as “non-essential, luxury goods” and have 5 percent VAT (value-added tax) added to their price. They shouldn’t be considered as such, they are a basic, essential item for all females. After a hard-fought and politically-charged battle that lasted more than 20 years, the UK Government announced that the contentious “tampon tax” will be scrapped from the 2020 Budget, with the zero rate coming into effect on January 1, 2021.
According to a survey conducted by Plan International UK on a sample of 1,000 girls and young womxn aged between 14-21, one in 10 girls can’t afford to buy menstrual products, while one in seven have struggled to afford them. This is called ‘Period poverty’, and it is affecting girls and womxn all over the world.
Two 16-year-old high-school students , Nadya Okamoto and Vincent Forand, decided that they wanted to create a better future for all these womxn and back in 2014 they launched PERIOD, to fight and end period poverty and stigma. Today PERIOD is the largest youth-powered organization, has addressed over ONE MILLION PERIODS for people in need, registered over 850 campus chapters in all 50 states and 50 countries, and is actively engaging in policy advocacy.
We have interviewed Sarah Smidi, member of PERIOD Youth Advisory Council, to understand better how the organization operates on the ground, what does it means to be a young female activist in the US, discover more about PERIOD’s projects and raise awareness around a topic that it is still considered a taboo.
Can you also tell us a bit more about your background and experience?
My education is rooted in my fascination with the justice system and the inequalities various communities face. In May of 2020, I graduated with my bachelors in criminal justice, which felt like the right step before pursuing graduate studies. In mid-August, I began law school, and it’s been quite the challenge. With regards to the menstrual equity space, I first became involved by joining PERIOD’s Toledo chapter in early 2020. Since then, I’ve participated in the 2020 Policy Bootcamp hosted by PERIOD and was recently chosen as a member on their Youth Advisory Council.
Are you working with other organizations, inside and outside USA?
Besides my work with PERIOD, I volunteer with youth across the world for an organization called Lebanon 4 Students. This group was actually founded in my hometown in the summer of 2020 and has since connected with volunteers from several continents in attempts to raise funds for Lebanese students that are struggling to finance their education. While we work to raise awareness about the economic plight in Lebanon, we also try to aid students in need by fulfilling their application fees and initial tuition installments as well as connecting them to resources in their locales.
Why have you decided to join the PERIOD movement as a member of the Youth Advisory Council?
Prior to accepting the offer of being on the Youth Advisory Council, I truly felt that there was a void in the menstrual equity movement that failed to listen and include the voices and experiences of minority menstruators. PERIOD, among several other organizations, were trying to fill that void yet were not successful, which is one of the many reasons this council was formed. The void still exists, and I know first-hand the obstacles Arab and/or Muslim menstruators face as I exist as a member of both communities. Being part of the Youth Advisory Council is one of the many steps I hope to carry out in my activist pursuits by bridging the issues that impact my community with people and teams that are determined to help and uplift, like PERIOD.
What are the biggest accomplishments of the movement so far and how did PERIOD evolved during the past years?
Since PERIOD’s inception in 2014, we’ve served over one million periods which translates to around 13 million units of donated period products. Those numbers keep climbing, too! PERIOD has over 700 chapters (and growing) all over the world that work tirelessly to provide products and education for their community members in need. Over the past few years, an annual National Period Day has been held across several countries (the next one is coming up on October 10, 2020!) to demand an end to period poverty and stigma. On a local scale, the work of leaders from PERIOD like those in Columbus, Ohio have mobilized and advocated for an end to the tampon tax, which led to its final repeal earlier this year. Seemingly small efforts from chapter members lead to monumental changes and a growing number of supporters in this fight.
PERIOD is now the largest youth-run NGO in women’s health, and one of the fastest-growing ones in the United States. What have you learned from your experience at PERIOD and which are the skills that you have developed?
Although the time I’ve spent with PERIOD is quite short compared to many, it has taught me to look beyond my own experiences. It is so easy to be comfortable and focus solely on the issues that you deal with, regardless of the fact that other people may be fighting the same battles. There are communities that are struggling with period poverty, even in my own city, and PERIOD has encouraged me to take bits and pieces of my own experiences and utilize them for the benefit of those marginalized. There’s something really beautiful and fulfilling about sharing a piece of yourself when helping others. These efforts have reinforced a greater sense of tolerance and awareness within me, as well as encouraged me to reach out to other activists/leaders in this space, because we’re all in this together!
What services do you provide now and where do you see PERIOD in 5 years from today?
As a Youth Advisory Council member, I communicate with fellow members and team leaders while focusing on shaping the organization to be more inclusive and reflective of the communities it serves. Also, as a chapter member, I work with local activists to create period packs that are given to menstruators in need. More recently, I spearheaded an initiative to collect period products for Lebanese mentruators impacted by the recent explosion and their country’s crippling economic situation. I held a drive and continued to collect donations with the help of PERIOD National and the local chapter I am involved with. In 5 years, I envision this organization as having more ties to grassroots efforts and access to more funds in order to support more activists on the ground. Also, the nerd in me hopes for PERIOD to have a researching program established to provide legislators and others we call “leaders” reliable information regarding issues that exist in the menstrual space as they aren’t often talked about within our communities, let alone on congressional floors.
What kind of obstacles or difficulties are you, and the other youth activists, facing with PERIOD? How does people and institutions react in front of a group of young, women activists?
I don’t speak on behalf of other people involved, yet I believe PERIOD has struggled to highlight the efforts of countless activists that have done commendable work in this space which is often counterintuitive in a fight that requires the togetherness of various communities. By creating this Youth Advisory Council and being incredibly clear on their intentions to move forward with better and more inclusive terms, this issue will hopefully be resolved. Young women activists, including myself, are often understood as passionate yet angry, with the latter somehow invalidating the entire premise of our work. People have yet to understand that anger is what pushes our brains to start working and often leads to change. Besides, there wouldn’t be many issues for us to discuss if we were all happy about everything in life.
How is the situation today regarding the sales taxes on menstrual products in the USA and how PERIOD is addressing it?
Currently, 30 states still impose a tax on menstrual products, with many citing them as “luxury items” despite menstruators’ reliance on them for their health and wellbeing. PERIOD continues to advocate for the pink tax’s repeal in these states on their social media platforms and supports activists by providing them the tools to effectively communicate this issue with legislators. Countless youth have also released petitions with the help of PERIOD leaders pressuring state, city, and local officials across the United States to adopt measures that ensure access to tax-free products
What does activism and feminism mean for you?
Activism and feminism are manifestations of my identity as a loud and proud first generation, Arab-American, Muslim woman. I’ve grown to be confident in who I am, and being a menstruator is often the common denominator between these elements. Looking back, I put up with a world that prioritized people’s comfort and I internalized the misogyny that was spoon-fed to me, and my clearer vision now is why I choose to speak up. I remember being asked to stay behind, along with the rest of the girls at my high school, only to be lectured about a pad that was accidentally left on the floor but was found to be a sign of our shamelessness. I remember sliding pads up my sleeve to go to the bathroom. I remember being warned not to mention my period in front of my brothers. I remember speaking up about my pain but being met with dismissal. I remember sex ed class where I was told – by a menstruating woman – to never use tampons as they would jeopardize my virginity, a cultural standard that is valued more than proper health education. I often took everything at face value because I didn’t know otherwise. It took me quite a while to recognize my power as a young woman and being an activist and feminist means using my voice and privilege to uplift and educate the youth in my community so that another story like the ones detailed above aren’t recreated.
What motivates you to continue advocating on a topic that most people feel uncomfortable talking about? and why, in your opinion, people are so uncomfortable talking about periods and why is still considered a taboo, a stigma?
People’s discomfort at the sound of the word “period” doesn’t discourage me. It’s indicative that a lot of work remains to be done, but it’s also exciting for me as it’s a wake-up call for me to continue. The idea that one person will learn something new and might feel inspired to donate products or research about menstruation after a simple conversation is what keeps me going. Not all interactions are guaranteed to be positive, however, due to the existing taboos and misconceptions around periods. I believe that culture has a huge influence on the stigma that we’re battling. In addition, people become comfortable with the present-day norms, including the silence around periods, and would rather not challenge the systems that back up these issues because revolutionary change like this seems nearly impossible. Transformations in this movement may not happen single-handedly, but a collective effort is promising.
How can our readers get involved with PERIOD and help the movement?
The best resource I can direct prospective period warriors to is our website www.period.org. There you’ll find all of our updates and important information regarding the menstrual equity movement and PERIOD’s work. Depending on where you live, you may also be able to join an existing PERIOD chapter, which focus on service, education, and advocacy. If your area doesn’t have a current chapter, and you’d like to take the initiative and start one, an application form is available on the website! This opportunity exists for passionate people all across the globe, not just the United States! I believe that if your circumstances allow for it, it’s integral to donate to trusted organizations that are fighting period poverty. One hack to find these lovely organizations is to find PERIOD on social media platforms and to keep an eye out for fellow activists and groups they share on their page! Besides these efforts, it’s equally important to have conversations with decisionmakers at your school, workplace, and even the people at your dinner table about the biases and misconceptions around menstruation that are often reinforced today. Starting a conversation is courageous and ultimately how movements like this grow.
