New Toowoomba workshop for young girls to break down ‘stigma’ of menstruation, periods

A Highfields businesswoman is hosting a special workshop aimed at education and empowering young girls to learn more about menstruation.

The organiser of a new “period-positive” workshop for girls aged between nine and 12 says she wants to break down the stigmas and barriers associated with menstruation.

Highfields businesswoman and founder of Hey Diva Jemay Nelder will host up to 10 girls and their mothers at the special one-off education session.

Ms Nelder said she conceived the workshop and her organisation to give more girls an opportunity to learn about their bodies free of the guilt and shame that is often associated with menstrual cycles.

“The main thing we want to teach is there is a full cycle to it, and we go into depth about how each of those phases change and how they can use those changes to the best of their ability,” she said.

We’re just expected to not talk about it or celebrate it, but it’s a natural part of life and if we didn’t have it, there would be no humans.”

Ms Nelder said not only would the workshop show girls how their cycles worked, but also how to best use it to their advantage.

“There is a secret power behind a woman and her menstrual cycle, so what I’ll explain is we all bleed, what follows are all the emotions that give us our power,” she said.

“We are actually more productive and energised and more efficient in the first two weeks after our period.

“We then have the downfall, so that’s where society says it doesn’t want us to embrace our emotions.

“But we’re not meant to be the same all the time, and we have to allow ourselves the space.”

Ms Nelder said the first part of the event would be with the girls on their own, before bringing in the mothers for the final session.

“The idea is to get the conversation going, get them empowered and educated, then we invite the mothers back for the final part of the workshop,” she said.

“At the moment it’s just one workshop, but I hope to host it again every two to three months.”