Period Party: a celebration for menstruation

There was Bingo. There were beverages. There were prizes. 

And plenty of talk about periods

More than 50 people turned out Thursday for a period party, an event held by the Women’s Empowerment Group.

Liz Flatum, the president of the Women’s Empowerment Group, said “We were looking for a good introduction to the semester. Last semester we didn’t have as much programming and we wanted something to get us out there. Especially with it being something that a lot of students would be connected to, and being able to connect…with our name being Women’s Empowerment, not saying that like our group is specifically just for women, because, I don’t identify with that label. It was something that could definitely unify students in that way.”

The Women’s Empowerment group is a relatively new group on campus with the goal of empowering women as well as educating others. As said above, everyone, regardless of gender identity, is welcome to join. Every month, the group aims to hold an event to inform and empower students.

Flatum also said, “Periods, menstruation, is very stigmatized. There’s a lot of shame held with having a period, and there’s a lot of legislation around it. And, how education in sex ed is…a lot of it is pushed to the side. So having a community where we can bring together people to talk about how periods are always different. There’s differences, and that your experience is what it is, and that there’s differences between everyone.”

They also said, “I think that there is value in finding your community of people who deal with menstruation. Having your community that can help you through the discrimination that you are facing, but if it’s that you’re facing it alone, also keep in mind that you aren’t alone, that there are people that also understand what the struggles with menstruating, what the struggles with stigma is. I feel that I would just say: keep pushing forward, because once you find those people, then they’re your people.”

The next Women’s Empowerment event will be in February, in which they will discuss red flags and green flags in relationships. The Women’s Center, which is located in the Centennial Student Union in 218, is open to everyone, regardless of gender identity. Additionally, the majority of or all bathrooms on campus are stocked with free period products, there are also free period products right outside the Women’s Center.

Write to Ellie Meschke at eleanor.meschke@my.normandale.edu

Header Photo: The Women’s Empowerment Group hosted a period party for women on campus Thursday. More than 50 people arrived. (Dylan Long/The Reporter)