It Takes a Village: Development of a Multi-disciplinary Research Centre to Combat Menstrual Stigma View Digital Media

Colloquium
Michelle Wellham,  Yixue Qiao,  Kimberly Williams,  Vladimira Foteva,  Roger Smith  

Menstrual health is integral for the development and maintenance of an equitable society. Nearly 2 billion people menstruate globally, and international challenges including environmental disasters, social stigma, and Covid-19 have resulted in inadequate resources to support individuals throughout their cycles, diminishing physical, mental, and communal health. Multifaceted challenges require multi-disciplinary solutions-thus, the Research, Education, Design, and Destigmatisation (R.E.D.D) Centre for Menstruation was co-conceptualised. Pooling the R.E.D.D. Centre’s healthcare, chemistry, fine arts, and sociology expertise not only identified gaps in period research, but also facilitated: 1.Creation of a distinct branding and promotional suite to establish a recognisable, cohesive community presence, 2.Coordination of a multi-disciplinary conference showcasing talent from healthcare to comedy, promoting a flexible approach to research outputs, and 3. Design of a novel, eco-friendly menstrual product via synthesis of fashion, textile, and bio-chemistry skillsets. Here, each team member discusses a co-designed project within R.E.D.D and its connection to the goal of reducing menstrual stigma by increasing focus on menstrual health. This colloquium therefore provides insight into our educational events, cultivation of a media presence, the fashioning of an interdisciplinary conference, foundational work in Nepal, and R.E.D.D.’s development as a cross-practice think-tank, archive, and creative space. Fine art and health-science collaborations harness interdisciplinary expertise - enhancing both the rigour of research and the ways scientific concepts can be communicated to layman audiences. The R.E.D.D. Centre is a vehicle for Design Activism; a hub for co-designed projects, where creative and scientific knowledge generates purposeful outcomes to achieve menstrual health.