The general objective of this project was to fight period poverty and promote gender equality by creating accessible, relevant tools. To achieve this, we aimed to strengthen collaboration with other associations, building collective power to mainstream menstrual education in Europe and create a concrete toolbox addressing identified needs. This was essential, as there was no common European definition or framework for menstrual education, making mutual learning and sharing best practices crucial. Another key objective was to actively involve youth through a survey and focus groups, centering their perspective on menstrual education and co-creating tools to become the change-makers of tomorrow. By encouraging them to reflect on their needs and ideas, we ensured the project was shaped by their voices while raising their awareness and engagement in menstrual education. Finally, we focused on disseminating the results widely so youth workers could be better equipped to address menstruation-related issues. By sharing the multilingual guide across Europe, first through an event, then via dedicated communication channels, we contributed to building a stronger, more period-friendly future.
Although periods are a natural process, they remain a taboo. A 2022 survey by Règles Élémentaires found that 1 in 3 girls in France experienced discrimination or humiliation at school(1) While the average first period in Europe occurs at 12 years and 2 months, only half of girls under 13 receive adequate information at school, even though access to knowledge is essential to reduce stress and help them cope better. Awareness of period poverty also varies across Europe: for example, a recent poll in Belgium revealed that 1 in 5 people believe it does not exist (2). To us, these findings, along with our field experiences, highlighted the urgent need for menstrual education to break taboos, challenge stereotypes, and actively fight period poverty. By equipping youth with knowledge, we empower them to engage in building a more period-friendly Europe. Given the absence of a common definition of menstrual education, collaboration with other associations was crucial. At the same time, many youth educators are not familiar with menstrual issues, so creating a multilingual guide with diverse transnational perspectives was necessary, both to empower young people as changemakers and to equip youth workers to address this issue effectively