Early September marks Women’s Health Week, which shines a spotlight on some of the biggest issues in women’s health. Knowing your body being one of this year’s program themes, here Sona Gupta of Edora shares their new children’s book on periods and their mission to ensure every 8-year-old girl understands menstruation.  

 

Releasing the Menstrupedia book in Australia is a personal project of mine that was born from a need to find a good (and easy) way to teach my little cousin about menstruation when she got her first period while her mum was away a few years ago!

 I  was surprised to see a lack of educational resources that were simple yet comprehensive enough for young children to independently learn about their periods in a fun way that did not feel didactic.

 The fact that Australian schoolchildren (myself included!) never receive formal education on periods and the menstrual cycle at school made me reassess the critical nature and importance of this kind of health education.  

I established the firm Edora in 2023, with our first project being the Menstrupedia book, with the aim of launching more innovative educational resources across various health and medical topics, written specifically for children, in future. 

The Menstrupedia book is a fully illustrated graphic book written with children in mind. We spent a year editing the text and illustrations to ensure the book would resonate with children and the Australian educational standards. Teaching girls about periods through a graphic book format is unique and very effective in making sure that girls actually understand the fundamentals of periods like the menstrual cycle that happens both inside and outside the body, as well as learn about practical issues like how to use a pad or tampon, essential hygiene measures and instances in which to seek a doctor. 

Knowledge is an important key that empowers children to grow into strong individuals. I wanted the Menstrupedia book to deliver the kind of essential women’s health education that is seldom provided to girls at the right time in their lives. So many girls, some as young as 8 or 9, face anxiety and mental health issues when they begin their periods, all because they don’t understand what is happening to them and why.  

Ensuring every 8-year-old girl understands the various aspects of menstruation, as well as associated disorders, comes down to something very simple yet critical  – education. The Menstrupedia book aims to be that essential resource for girls, a resource that delivers a comprehensive education on periods at the most important time in their lives, before they begin their first period.  

So much work across the world has propelled the period conversation forward, yet so much work remains. Through this book, we hope to be a very small part of the conversation by ensuring that every Australian child, regardless of circumstances, can get the opportunity to receive this education that they need and deserve at the right time.