A short film which features the work of a Jewish woman determined to end period poverty – the financial disadvantages women face as a result of menstruation - has been commissioned by Facebook.
The film is part of a series, Beyond the Screen, celebrating the work of six communities around the UK that seek to effect positive change in the real world.
The woman, Gabby Edlin, launched her project, ‘Bloody Good Period’, in October 2016, while she was volunteering at New London Synagogue’s asylum-seekers drop-off centre.
Ms Edlin said that when she inquired as to why sanitary products were not on the list of essential items, she was told that these were only given in an “emergency”.
“It was that moment when I realised that this wasn’t good enough - they didn’t have proper period supplies. A period happens once a month, so every period is an emergency,” she said.
“I also realised that women wouldn’t ask twice for products, both because it’s embarrassing in terms of poverty and because of the shame surrounding periods,” she says.
So Ms Edlin shared a post on Facebook asking friends to donate sanitary products. The response she got was remarkable. “I knew my friends were generous but it was so much more than I expected. Initially it was just my friends sharing the post, but then people were sharing it all over Facebook.”
Within a couple of months, she received thousands of pads, sometimes “50 packs a day”, she says.
Though Ms Edlin had been working for ‘Bloody Good Period’ on a voluntary basis, as well as balancing jobs as a nanny and in the arts, she says that “as of this week, I am working here full time”.
“Now my entire life is surrounded by pads,” she jokes.
Mr Edlin, 32, grew up in South Manchester. The daughter of Glaswegian Jews, she spent her teenage years in Habonim, “so social action was always a big part of my identity,” she said. She now lives in Temple Fortune and though she said she is not religious, she is “culturally heavily into it.”
As well as encouraging people to donate sanitary products, Ms Edlin and her team have raised over £50,000 for the project. Part of the cash is raised through fundraisers, such as holding comedy nights. “We run comedy nights called ‘Bloody Funny’ that was born out of the fact that I wanted people to laugh about periods, as it’s an awkward subject. We always get female comedians because it’s about time people realised how funny women are!” The last one, held at Conway Hall in London, raised £8,000.
With 16 drop-in centres around London, it seems that ‘Bloody Good Period’ has gone from strength to strength. Ms Edlin is adamant that they will not open centres unless the volunteers “can go every single month without fail. People need to trust us, we don’t want to panic them - it’s a very sensitive area. But some people have donated a huge amount of money,” she adds.
Though she says the organisation “has never put an emphasis on money” and understands that “people like sending products, rather than cash at times as it feels more tangible and safer,” they do need money to survive.
“We have a big waiting list of people that need our help,” says Ms Edlin.
“We are campaigning for the government to cover period supplies. We work closely with Plan UK and The Cup Effect, but we really want the government to take care of this.
So, when the director of the film series got in touch with Ms Edlin, though she was initially reluctant to have the crew come to the centre as “many of the people we work with are on the run from persecution and so it can feel frightening for them to be filmed”, she saw it as an opportunity to raise awareness.
“I like the idea that people get to tell their stories,” she says. “We really wanted to make something that focused on the community. I can’t stress enough that it wouldn’t exist without the volunteers, it’s not just about me. So the experience was great because we were able to include the volunteers and make a fuss of their work.
“The public have been so supportive, the generosity is incredible. The amount that people are willing to give to make sure other people have good periods is amazing.
“But for me, the real success will be when we don’t have to exist”.
The films will be screened for the public free of charge at Everyman cinemas across the UK in Bristol, Barnet, Birmingham, Leeds, Muswell Hill, Stratford-Upon-Avon, York, Esher and Glasgow between 17 October and 7 November. A trailer is available here: https://vimeo.com/292958331/2a67066883
