To mark MH Day we have run a period poetry competition for the last 2 years. The competition is open to anyone aged between 10 and 18, and follows the theme of MH Day. MH Day is an annual event to get the world talking about periods and reinforce the message that menstruation matters. Nothing could be closer to our hearts – Women and Girls exists to support menstruators in India by providing them not only with reusable, hygienic sanitary protection but also education about this most natural process. Being able to express thoughts and feelings through poetry fits in with our ethos of open, honest dialogue about periods and we have been impressed by the quality of the entries both years we’ve run the competition.

We were delighted to have authors Perdita and Honor Cargill and Harriet Whitehorn join us as our judges for the competition both in 2019 and 2020. They bring with them a deep love of creative writing and a wealth of experience that goes beyond their own authored books.

We also put together some educational resources to accompany the competition in 2020, to help raise awareness of the issues surrounding period poverty in India. These resources are free to use and are designed to develop a range of skills.

• Period Poetry Competition Resources for Teachers
• My Period
• Period Poverty in India – Facts and Stats
• MH Day Themes