Wen is training secondary school teachers, council staff, Advice, Information and Guidance (AIG) Counselors and staff from community organisations to deliver unbiased period education.
THE PROBLEM
Mainstream disposable period product manufacturers like Tampax and Lil Lets have for many years offered free menstrual education resources to schools. This often means that disposable period products are given precedence and reusable options left out. Often period education is delivered separately to boys and girls, this may create further barriers to speaking openly about it. Boys may only learn about the “biology” of periods and not the social, health and environmental aspects.
WORKING WITH LOCAL COUNCILS
Wen is working with Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Waste Aware to train Environmenstrual Ambassadors to increase awareness and knowledge of reusable, safe and plastic-free period products in particular amongst secondary school pupils.
THE WORKSHOPS
The environmenstrual workshops take place virtually and each school receives a toolkit containing examples of the wide range of disposable and reusable period products. The training includes: anatomy, environment, health and period product choices. The workshop equips teachers to deliver period education confidently to their students and provides resources for their lesson plans.
Some example slides from the Environmenstrual teacher training workshop deck
TEACHER TOOLKITS
Thanks to some amazing small businesses we are able to offer schools toolkits with different period products and resources – so that students are then able to see and touch the products and of course ask questions.
Some of the period products in the toolkit
Thank you to: WUKA, Flux, Mooncup, Sugar and Scoop, The Period Lady, Cheeky Wipes, Modibodi, Cheeky Pants, By All Matters, OrganiCup, Natracare, Dame, Earth Wise Girls, This Period is My Life.
FORWARD THINKING
Hertfordshire County Council has set up HERTS Sustainable Periods scheme with discount codes to buy reusable period products and provided some budget for those who need free period products. They have also created a page with really useful information and resources.
Other councils are following suit. If you are an individual, why not share this page with your local council representative. If you are a council, please get in touch, so we can discuss how we can work together. Contact helen@wen.org.uk
Find out more about Environmenstrual Campaign and Environmenstrual Week
