On May 28th, the world is celebrating the first ever Menstrual Hygiene Day ! Spearheaded by Wash United , more than 80 NGOs around the world are working together to start the conversation about menstruation, and break down the taboo!Menstruation is stigmatized around the world – including Canada – and the consequences are extremely destructive to young women in developing communities. There is no reason why a woman’s body should be such a source of shame and embarrassment that it stops her from attending school and participating in daily activities.

Here are some of the facts – In Kenya, the average girl will miss 4.9 days of school each month during her period, adding up to about 20% of the school year.– In Ghana, girls miss up to 5 days a month attributed to inadequate sanitation facilities and the lack of sanitary products at school as well as physical discomfort due to menstruation, such as cramps.– 32.5% of schoolgirls from South Asia had not heard about menstruation prior to menarche and an overwhelming 97.5% did not know that menstrual blood came from the uterus.– 83% of girls in Burkina Faso and 77% in Niger have no place at school to change their sanitary menstrual materials.While working in Mathare over the last year, we have learned that over 75% of girls had no idea what their period was before it started. They reported feeling scared, embarrassed and ashamed, causing them to make the choice to stay in their homes during their periods.

is a huge step towards starting the conversation about menstruation, and helping girls around the world stay in school, every day of the month! Over 80 partners around the world are coming together, planning events, and we want YOU to join us in Toronto!

Femme will be co-hosting MENSTRAVAGANZA at the Revue on Thursday May 29th at the Revue Cinema on Roncesvailles. The event is presented by Canadian MH Day Partners Crankytown, YOUR BOX CLUB and Period Makeover, and will be a night filled with period cinema and discussion.

Crankytown will be announcing the winners of 2014 Crankyfest, followed by an exclusive screening of the winning short films! Crankyfest is the world’s only online film festival dedicated to menstruation and the three co-founders are dedicated to changing the way menstruation is viewed in the media.

We will be screening the award winning documentary ‘Menstrual Man’, the remarkable story of Arunachalam Muruganantham – the Indian man who has started the sanitary pad revolution in India.

Following the films, we will be hosting a brief panel discussion about why menstruation is such an important issue to talk about – here in Canada and around the world. The first twenty guests will receive special gift bags from YOUR BOX CLUB.

Tickets are $10, with all proceeds going to our educational programming in Kenya.