When Destinee MacInnis had her first period, she had no idea what to expect. Up until that point, there had been a lack of education on the topic.
“A lot of the time, it was kind of just pushed under a rug … I didn't know what was going to happen, I didn’t know all the (premenstrual syndrome) symptoms,” said MacInnis, now 18.
After participating in an initiative with local outreach worker Faye Fraser for pre-teen girls aimed at normalizing body image and sexual health, the Havre Boucher, N.S. teen was one of eight girls who decided to form a group in 2016 which later became Girls Taking Action, a place to discuss and take on projects against issues facing them and their female peers based out of Port Hawkesbury, N.S.
This year, they are focusing on period stigma around the world, period poverty and eco-friendly menstruation products. This included holding a period party workshop, where girls got to create their own menstruation kits, allowing them to try different kinds of pads, tampons and liners, while also helping some girls feel better prepared for their first period.
These conversations help girls feel more comfortable and knowledgeable, said MacInnis.
“What we're doing is just to try to normalize periods, instead of having girls feel so self-conscious about it,” she said. “I will gladly talk about my period in the middle of the mall with somebody if they wanted to at this point; that's how normalized it is to me.”
The cost of supplies can be a barrier for some menstruating individuals. Since June, Girls Taking Action have been creating period kits with the help of donor money. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, four people were designated to compile the kits while others contributed remotely throughout the summer. Over 400 of the uniquely tie-dyed kits have been distributed in Nova Scotia and another 200 are headed to New Brunswick.
Some people might feel uncomfortable talking openly about periods, but MacInnis is at ease. For a long time, her father did not want to purchase supplies for her at the store, but her influence has changed his viewpoint.
“He has realized now that it shouldn't be stigmatized because he shouldn't be scared,” she said. “So, he will now, but for the longest time before I educated him, he wouldn’t.”
MacInnis is also proud to have converted two of her friends to using menstrual cups, which are silicon cups that collect blood and can be washed and re-inserted without creating any waste.
“I've talked about it so often that I can literally rhyme off every good reason to have a menstrual cup instead of tampons and pads,” she said.
Last year, MacInnis assisted the local women’s centre for her Grade 12 Co-Op class, which happens to be the same place where the group first started their meetings.
“It was a great experience,” she said. “I got to help out with a lot of women and get to hear their stories and talk to them. And I learned a lot from them,” she said.
These experiences led her to begin studying diversity and social justice at the University of Prince Edward Island this fall. She is bringing the work of Girls Taking Action to the Island, including a love letters initiative she was a part of leading where notes are left around for people to find. She will be taking period kits back from her visits home for Islanders who need them.
“(In the future) I'd love to work in like either a women's centre, a women's shelter or a transition house,” she said. “Just anything to help people get back on their feet and know that there are people there for them.”