Period Underwear as Menstrual Activism: Female Empowerment, Ecofeminism, and Trans-Inclusion

Summer Cisneros

Summer Cisneros is a senior at The University of Florida, where she will graduate with a BA in Women’s Studies.  She is heavily involved in fights for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, as she works at Planned Parenthood and is a former intern for The National Organization for Women.  One of her career aspirations is to become a diversity consultant for educators, helping them to develop gender, race, and sexuality curricula for their schools.

I go and find the only other woman on the floor is the secretary sitting at the desk by the door.  I ask her if she's got a tampon I could use.  She says, “Oh honey, what a hassle for you, sure I do, you know I do.”  I say, “It ain't no hassle, no, it ain't no mess.  Right now it's the only power that I possess. These businessmen got the money, they got the instruments of death, but I can make life, I can make breath.” 

-Ani DiFranco “Blood in the Boardroom”

Introduction

In “Blood in the Boardroom,” Ani DiFranco refutes the stigma attached to menstruation and instead embraces it as an empowering experience.  In a meeting full of men, she gets her period and leaves in search of a tampon. The woman who gives her one—having herself been socialized to see periods as worrisome experiences—labels DiFranco’s need for a tampon a hassle.  DiFranco corrects the secretary, asserting that her period is a powerful tool and a sign that she can “make life” and “make breath”—abilities the businessmen lack. She decides not to return to the boardroom, ending the song with: “So I just left a big brown bloodstain on their white chair.”

Cultural attitudes toward menstruation in the US are androcentric, anti-earth, and transphobic.  As new generations of feminists emerge and women fight to reclaim autonomy over their bodies, I contend that menstrual activism is a path to female empowerment.  Menstrual activists have various reasons for their involvement with this form of feminism, including the movement’s ties to feminist spiritualism. Judith Lorber, in Chris Bobel’s New Blood: Third-Wave Feminism and the Politics of Menstruation, asserts that feminist spiritualists embrace menstruating “…as a healthy, sacred, empowering, and even pleasurable experience for women” (xii).  Using period underwear (PU) is one route that women can take to embrace their unique powers and connections to nature as creators and nurturers of life.  Along with helping women to reclaim their agency, PU is an ecofeminist and trans-inclusive product.  

Female Empowerment

In many pre-colonial societies, menstruating women entered “menstrual huts” to connect to one another, to pause between responsibilities, and to seek a respite from men (Griffiths 145).  Paraphrasing archaeologist and anthropologist Marija Gimbutas, Bobel writes that, historically, “women bled without shame, in synchrony with the moon and within the communities of women” (68).  Because the moon’s 28-day cycle mimics the menstruation cycle, women were seen as connected to nature in ways that men were not.  

Matriarchal cultures empower women through embodiment.  In her memoir, “There is No Word for Feminism in My Language,” Laura Tohe writes of her life as a Dine/Navajo woman.   For her first menses, she was “immersed in the care and advice of the women and the community” and her body was “acknowledged, celebrated, and made ready for the role of a mature woman” (Tohe 3).  Women’s bodies in these societies are revered because of their unique abilities to menstruate, ovulate, and create and nurture life. The questions begged here are: How did Western/Settler culture change attitudes toward menstruation, and how can women empower themselves through embodiment?

With the rise of colonization and the pressures from a Eurocentric religion (read: Christianity), thoughts on menstruation began to waver.  Some Judeo-Christian religions label menstruating women “dirty, tainted, and unclean” (Shore 146). These traditions draw from the Bible, which states that a menstruating woman will pollute anything that she touches (New International Version Bible, Leviticus 15:19-21).  These negative perceptions are not limited to religious institutions.  Michel Foucault’s “docile body” theory offers a connection between social constructions and internalized shame.

A prominent mode of oppression is to outcast people as “the other,” thus taking away their autonomy.  Foucault contends that individuals internalize the oppression forced on them by external power structures which pressures them to modify their behavior (Bobel 34).  When we use this theory in discussions of menstruation, we find that society is using women’s bodies and their natural functions to oppress them. Hegemonic ideology forces females to keep their periods secret, suppress them with birth control, and avoid leaks—a sign which will publicize that they are women and their bodies are doing what they are naturally supposed to do.

Young girls’ bodies are turned into docile ones when menstruation is stigmatized.  Though Tohe’s first menses was celebrated at home, periods were considered secret matters at her white American school.  She recounts that her male classmates were brought out of class while the girls watched a somber video about menstruation.  She recalls, “The underlying message was that puberty was a dirty and shameful business that you went through alone” (Tohe 3).  

Participants echoed this sentiment in my survey, “Menstruation and Period Underwear Questionnaire.”  The 54 respondents answered questions about how they think society views menstruation and how they feel about their periods.  The results showed that only 17% viewed their periods as positive, with the remainder feeling neutral or negative. The majority felt that society determines how women feel about their periods.  One participant asserted, “A girl cannot be comfortable telling someone that she started her period. Also in ads, they make it out to be a bad experience that they can help with.” Another respondent proclaimed that menstruation is seen “as a shameful thing and something that we need to keep hidden…and god forbid if your tampon leaks onto your pants.”  These pressures turn women into docile bodies, in which they purchase unhealthy and unsustainable products. Results showed that over 80% of participants use tampons, pads, or cups. 

In her dissertation, Gendered Subjectivity and the Female Body: Discovering Agency and Power, Brenda Boudreau highlights the work of sociologist Laura Fingerson.  Fingerson’s research sheds light on “the shame that girls initially feel in trying to conceal menstruation, a concealment Fingerson feels is imposed by men, since menstruation is natural for women” (Boudreau 5).  Lesley Irene Shore, in Healing the Feminine: Reclaiming Woman’s Voice, proclaims that society promotes the use of tampons to make women plug themselves and ignore their natural bodily functions that correlate to power (65).  By suggesting that women should deny embodied powers, the culture constructs the idea that women are inferior because of their periods. Fingerson suggests that it is through the natural functions of their bodies that women can become agents of their own autonomy (Boudreau 5).  

Some extremists within radical menstrual activism “free-bleed,” a practice whereby they use nothing during their periods (Bobel 8).  The movement is not centered on this extreme measure, however. In 1980, there were over 800 cases of toxic shock syndrome linked to the use of tampons (Bobel 8).  Feminists became motivated during this time to fight against the androcentric healthcare industry by providing women with products that are healthier and safer for both women and the planet (Bobel 8).  As a reusable product that is not inserted into the body, PU can allow women to align themselves with the movement’s goals. Additionally, feminists who want to participate in menstrual activism in a manner that is more private and personal may discover that PU helps them to do so. 

Some PU companies promote body positivity through their products, efforts which I connect to feminist spiritualism.  Women who practice this form of feminism “want to experience their bodies fully and naturally” (Bobel xi). The mission of the PU company Thinx is to empower all menstruators by removing the stigma attached to periods.  The company partners with several activist groups, such as PERIOD. The two organizations started the first-ever National Period Day on October 19, 2019, organizing rallies to bring awareness to period poverty and to de-stigmatize menstruation (PERIOD).  Another PU company, Modibodi, proclaims in its manifesto, “At Modibodi, we are modern women with a fearless take on making our ‘unmentionables’ absolutely mentionable.”

Ecofeminism

Ecofeminists assert that there are correlations between society’s stripping of the Earth’s resources and the denigrating of women’s bodies.  Through this environmental lens, patriarchy is seen as a system which harms the Earth and women through oppression and “capitalism, war, racism, and the destruction of the environment” (Bobel 71).  Menstrual activists are ecofeminists who “boycott, or ‘girlcott,’ commercial single-use products for reusable cups and homemade cotton pads” (Bobel xi) Statistics suggest that one woman will throw away over 1,400 menstrual hygiene products throughout her lifetime (Bobel 63).  Reducing their impact on the planet is of major importance to menstrual activists, and PU is a long-lasting, sustainable product to aid them in their efforts.  

As with many other businesses, PU companies must use disposable items to distribute their products through the mail.  Their ability to greatly decrease waste in landfills, however, outweighs these limitations. Furthermore, Thinx shows a commitment to female empowerment through its business practices and organizational structure.  The company promotes an ethical working environment by focusing on employee well-being and female leadership (“For People with Periods”).

Women’s bodies are considered inferior to men’s: a number of men’s luxury health items are covered by insurance, such as penile implants and erectile dysfunction medication (Carpentier 1).  In contrast, women must pay full price—including tax—for feminine hygiene products. The "tampon tax" or "pink tax”—     named to showcase that women are expected to pay more for their gender-specific needs—has recent battles waged against it (Zraick 1).  Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, co-founder of Period Equality, calls these taxes "sex-based discrimination,” and she runs her nonprofit organization to fight against this economic inequality (Zraick 1).  In 2015, California Assembly member Cristina Garcia co-sponsored a bill to end this discrimination. She asserts that taxing women for medically necessary products is a social justice issue and proclaims, “Effectively we are being taxed for being born as a woman” (Brown 1).  PU continues to be taxed, but it is a reusable product. Women can spend less money on period products if they purchase PU or the materials to make their own.

Trans-Inclusion

In contrast to feminist spiritualists who embrace menstruation as a sacred power, some transmen do not view their periods as empowering.  A 2016 study found that some transmen experience stress and discomfort when on their periods. Researchers from Connecticut College’s psychology and history departments recruited 150 transmen and masculine-identified individuals to document their feelings toward menstruation and what steps they may take to hide it.  The study showed that having periods can be worrisome experiences for transmen, as menstruation “is a reminder that some bodily processes do not align with their gender identity” (Chrisler et al. 1241). 66% of transmen feel unsafe and 68% feel uncomfortable when using men’s restrooms during their periods (Chrisler et al. 1244). 

There are three pertinent reasons that some transmen are afraid to use feminine hygiene products in public: the sounds that products make when unwrapped; the disposal of the products; and the penetrative aspects of some products.  One participant admitted that he does not replace pads unless he is alone in the restroom or when he has to urinate. He confided, “I only change my pad when I have to pee as well so I can mask the sound of the pad with the sound of the toilet flushing” (Chrisler et al. 1244).  Some transmen also worry that men will see their used tampons and pads after they throw them away. Furthermore, the use of penetrative products such as tampons and cups causes a disconnect between transmen and their gender identities (Chrisler et al. 1247).  

PU affords many transmen the opportunity to menstruate without separating from their gender identities.  In her article “Period Panties Answer: What Do Transmen Do About Their Periods?,” Emma Johnson interviewed a transgender model for Thinx.  Sawyer DeVuyst reflected that when he had a period, it was dangerous for him because he could be a victim of a hate crime if he leaked blood (Johnson 1, 3).  He explains, “Here I was trying to live a life as a transman, yet I had my period every month. I’d be in the men’s bathroom with guys around me peeing while I changed my tampon.  It made my discomfort with my body that much worse” (Johnson 1). As a trans-friendly business, Thinx launched a boyshorts style of PU during Transgender Awareness Week in November 2015, and its tagline is “For People with Periods” (Johnson 3).  

Alternative Viewpoints and Drawbacks

Not all women embrace their “time of the month” as empowering; some feel that they can live their lives more easily and fully by masking periods or suppressing them.  Furthermore, PU can be expensive. Although making DIY PU is more affordable, it takes time and effort to do so. Because PU creates dirty laundry, the need to wash them can also be burdensome.  I recognize that, as a ciswoman, I do not have intrinsic insight into transmen and their individual experiences with menstruation. I offer only my research as seen above and the solutions—some but not all—that I suggest for transmen to be included as people with periods.

Conclusions

It would behoove society to invest more research and funds into educating females on the positive aspects of menstruation—how they can become empowered through embodiment.  Girls and women can refuse to live as docile bodies by reclaiming their unique powers and connections to nature. By embracing their periods as powerful tools, women can fight against hegemonic ideals of femininity.  Information about the unsustainable aspects of disposable feminine hygiene products should be given to all menstruators. Along with all period products, PU should be covered under insurance or at least become tax-free.  Finally, transmen should be offered ways to menstruate free of shame and embarrassment. I therefore proclaim that by using PU, women in search       of empowerment, ecofeminists, and transmen can—figuratively at least—leave a big brown bloodstain on patriarchy’s white chair. 

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