A new campaign encouraging teenage girls to feel confident about their periods has been launched by a St Albans eco-friendly menstruating underwear company.
WUKA (Wake Up Kick Ass) has teamed with the St Albans School of Acting to create a new video targeting the taboos around womens’ cycles.
In the short film the teenagers talk about their first experiences having a period, reassuring any young girls yet to start that there is nothing to worry about.
The campaign, Teens Kick Ass, also includes an educational information sheet about periods covering a variety of more-taboo topics such as mood swings, leakage, irregular cycles, and cramps.
Managing director of the acting school, Phoebe Shergold-Willis, said: “I’m so thrilled that the students are getting such good exposure to filming.”
WUKA is a company which make eco-friendly period pants - reusable knickers which absorb blood.
CEO of WUKA, Ruby Raut, was inspired to launch the campaign after hearing new stats from Plan International UK which suggest nearly half of teenage girls are embarrassed about their time of the month.
To accompany the launch, WUKA has released new teenage sizes of the underwear.
Ruby said: “We want WUKA to bring a positive message and a sense of empowerment, to break taboos around menstruation. Teens should be proud and loud about their period. On your period, show it off!
“It was a no-brainer for us to offer teen sizing as soon as possible. We think that parents and carers should add WUKA to the ‘back to school’ checklist: for all girls who are menstruating, or those who may be about to start their periods.”
WUKA pants are suitable for all bleeding, from spotting to a heavy flow.
Ruby came to the UK from Nepal at 20 years old after experiencing the controversial practice of Chaupadi - this is when women are forced to live outside while bleeding.
It is believed that everything women touch is contaminated during this time.
The belief hit headlines in 2016 when a 15-year-old girl lit a fire in a poorly-ventilated ramshackle Chaupadi shed and suffocated.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here