Josephine McAllister, first year PhD student at the University of Bath, ran the TCS London Marathon last weekend. She raised money for Bloody Good Period, a UK based organisation that provides period products to those who can’t afford them and reproductive health education to those less likely to access it, including asylum seekers and refugees.
Josephine has a passion for periods and wrote both her undergraduate and master’s dissertations on the topic before embarking on a PhD. Her PhD research explores the impact of social norms on adolescent girls’ menstrual health in Nepal. It sits within the MeJARa project and involves data collection in collaboration with the Center for Research on Environment, Health and Population Activities (CREHPA) in Nepal.
Josephine said: “No one should be at a disadvantage just because they menstruate yet period products aren’t free and accessible in the UK so many people can’t afford or access them. Although menstruation is a natural, biological process it is shrouded in stigma and shame and this has significant consequences for people who menstruate.
Bloody Good Period work hard to normalise the language around menstruation to help tackle the taboo. With the cost of living in the UK and conflicts across the world, demand for their services is greater than ever before. Running my first marathon was a massive personal challenge but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to combine it with raising money for this amazing cause.”
Written by:
Josephine Mcallister