On Tuesday 3 September, more than 100 students and 20 educators and community leaders gathered at U-City for an evening of period education and advocacy. Presented by CCYP, the Youth Period Summit 2024 was hosted entirely by members of the CCYP Period Justice Working Group, with the theme of the evening being ‘A Movement for Change’. The evening’s program focused on identifying ongoing issues faced by those who menstruate, including how advocates can work together to bring about change.
The Summit opened with a panel discussion showcasing and celebrating progress made in South Australia over the last twelve months. This included greater awareness amongst young people teachers and sports coaches and clubs that has led to better education, better facilities and supply of free hygiene products in SA schools and some sporting clubs.
The panel featured Catherine Hutchesson MP who has been advocating around pelvic pain and endometriosis for many years; Natalie Jonas from the Department for Education; Oliva Bellas, PhD Candidate at the University of Adelaide; Nicola Jenson from the Pelvic Pain Foundation; and Councillor Ethan White from the Town of Gawler. Each panelist discussed how their organisation has taken steps toward achieving period justice and highlighting what else they felt could be done to bring about positive change in the future.
This was followed by TABOO Menstruation Educator, Eva Jakob who presented on the menstrual cycle and TABOO founder, Eloise Hall, who spoke on the realities of period poverty in Australia.
After a short dinner break, a second panel discussed specific issues in relation to periods and menstruation faced by members of diverse and marginalised communities. Avery Cox, Transgender Peer Support Worker at Shine SA; Lily Durkin, who lives with a disability and Ephrasie Muliro from a migrant community, each provided insight into their individual experiences as menstruators with societally marginalised identities. These included how they feel the issues they and their communities face could be resolved by viewing them through a period justice lens.
Members of the Youth Period Justice Working Group each delivered a short comment on period support and what they would be focusing on in the immediate future to progress period justice within their networks and lives.
The evening closed with an opportunity for attendees to reflect and share something new they had learnt. Entertainer Libby Trainor Parker brought the laughs, as she recited a series of poems about the realities of menstruation!
The Summit acted as a launching point for the newly established Period Justice Facebook Group (Period Justice Movement SA) so those who are passionate about achieving period justice can meet online and continue to discuss ways to build momentum on the period justice movement both in SA and around the world. New members are welcome.
