Around 45 percent of teens say they are affected by the negative stigma around menstruation, and around 60 percent agree they were taught to feel ashamed of their periods, according to a study by period.org. Furthermore, one in four teens struggle to afford period products in the United States.
Salem senior Anna Escamilla-Herrera decided that lack of access to menstrual products is but one issue women face and that there needs to be a change– starting on the local level.
“For a long time, women’s issues have been brushed aside as unimportant,” Escamilla-Herrera said. “We are here to make them important, because we believe that even a small change can create a ripple effect on thousands of women’s lives.”
Escamilla-Herrera created the Women’s Awareness Association in August 2024 and has since gathered P-CEP students, five board members and 24 volunteers. She started the club based on her and her acquaintances’ experiences with discrimination.
The main objective of the group is to provide menstrual products to low-income areas. “As we are currently working on combating period poverty, I see and feel the significant impact it has on women’s health, education, and overall well-being,” Escamilla-Herrera said. “In metro areas like Detroit, there can be a high need for such support due to economic disparities. We aim to provide access to menstrual products, education and support to ensure that all women and girls can manage their periods with dignity.”
The WAA additionally makes an effort to spread awareness of the issues that women face worldwide-including domestic violence, sexual assault and lack of resources for mental health. “In order to create a brighter and better future for the next generation of women, we focus on combating topics society deems as taboo,” Escamilla-Herrera explained.
Recently the WAA placed period product donation boxes in the Plymouth District Library and the Main branch of the Detroit Public Library along with its neighborhood branches, including Duffield, Jefferson and Chandler Park, to gather donations of menstrual products and distribute them in the Detroit area. The WAA is working in collaboration with the Detroit Period Project, an organization run by Wayne State University students with a similar mission.
The WAA will hold its first event Oct. 25 at the Canton Public Library 4-6 p.m in conjunction with the Detroit Period Project and the P-CEP Rotary Interact Club to package donated products and prepare them to be distributed.
Additional information, resources and volunteer opportunities for WAA can be found at [email protected] or Instagram: @women__awareness.
The writer is a volunteer for the Detroit Period Society.
