Let’s break the taboo: Menstrual education for everyone

Speakers

• Maria Carmen Punzi
  Maria Carmen Punzi is a Menstrual Health researcher and activist. Since 2017, she has worked in multiple international organizations building evidence on the connections between menstrual health, sexual and reproductive health and gender equity. In 2019, she won a five-year grant to complete her PhD on menstrual health and social enterprises at RSM. In 2021, in collaboration with other stakeholders, she has advocated and obtained funding for free menstrual products on the Erasmus campus, and continues her activism within and beyond the university. She also regularly consults organizations and companies on menstrual health education, content creation and menstrual products’ business innovation. When she is not busy writing and teaching, she curates her @periodswithmariacarmen Instagram page, where she translates evidence on the menstrual cycle into fun, shareable content.

  

• Yara Dixon
  Yara Dixon received the first medical student of the year award 2021 for all her work on menstruation. She is is a fifth-year medical student at Erasmus University Rotterdam and for her thesis, she conducted research on heavy menstrual bleeding amongst young adults and designed a symptom checker. Yara also launched a fundraising campaign to raise awareness and ensured that the first cabinet of free menstrual products was installed at her medical faculty.

  

• Tamara Gerhardt (host)
  Tamara Gerhardt is the Team leader of Team Health at Erasmus Verbindt. In 2021, she was the driver to conduct surveys among the EUR community to get insights into their knowledge and experience regarding menstruation. After very insightful responses of a second survey in 2022, she achieved to place nine boxes with menstrual products around the Woudestein campus together with other stakeholders. Up until now, she is advocating for free menstrual products on campus and restocking the products on a regular basis.