Redefining the discourse, periodt!

Image by Glenda Poswa

On the other side of the road, Glenda stood waiting for me. Her happy demeanor is welcoming and her smile matches the sunshine we’ve been blessed with following a rainy day. As we make our way to her room, she tells me more about her residence, Dingemans. Her room is cosy and spots shades of pink, from her bedding to her stuffed animals.

Glenda Poswa is a third year BSS student doing Linguistics, Politics and Psychology at Rhodes University. She had recently presented a research proposal to her Linguistics lecturers and peers. The proposal titled ‘How discourses about menstruation affect women’s perceptions of themselves’ focused on the kinds of words that are used to refer to menstruation and menstrual products. She got the idea when she saw a poster in the bathroom that referred to menstrual products as ‘sanitary’ and ‘hygienic’. “I didn’t understand why something natural as periods is made to be this dirty thing”, says Glenda.

Although Glenda is vocal and comfortable talking about menstruation, she understands that not everyone will be comfortable. She recalls an encounter where a cashier was left mortified because she did not ask for a plastic to put in the packet of pads she had bought. “In high school we were told to ask for a ‘biscuit’ instead of pads”, she says laughing.

Glenda is planning on pursuing joint Honours in Linguistics and Politics. She says if she decides to continue with the research, schools would be the places where she would conduct the study. “ The research would bring awareness to people, especially girls that periods are not something to be ashamed of and we can talk about them without using euphemisms”. In the meantime, Glenda believes that we should use what we have to facilitate positive conversations surrounding menstruation. Social media platforms like Instagram comes to her mind as one of the tools to use.