A billboard placed on the Transnational Plaza building at City Hall Way of a lady with ‘period’ blood smeared on her face has caused a huge online uproar.
The person on the billboard is a woman living with a disability who is seen holding a menstrual cup that has seemingly spilled the blood on her face.
The audacious picture is part of a new campaign dupped #Endperiodshame which has been advocating for girls with disabilities and creating public awareness.
Posting on their social media page, the people behind the campaign (Genesis, Voice and Confidence sanitary pads) revealed that the campaign wants to normalize menstruation conversations and they are leaving no one behind.
What many are not aware of is that women and girls with disabilities experience menstruation too, and they face challenges when it comes to menstruation because they lack access to quality information.
With its brazen billboard, the campaign seeks to face the period taboo in the face and also question how comfortable Kenyan ladies are with their periods and menstrual blood. It will also make people aware that while menstruation is difficult for many women, having a disability can add another layer of difficulty. In addition, it sparks conversation about how ladies/girls with disabilities handle menstruation as it is a topic people rarely think about.
As expected, the operation has attracted backlash from a section of Kenyans who feel that the billboard is just unpleasant because the woman in the picture has menstrual blood on her face which is considered disgusting by many.
Others declared that the lady in the billboard uses her mouth to remove the period cup while others felt that the message was good but the execution was poor.
Taking to social media a section of Kenyans who had interacted with the billboard aired their sentiments which you can check out below:
I think your creative execution could have been better!!! There will be a lot of backlash to this execution
— Josiah Mwangi (@MwangiJosiah) October 30, 2019
Check out some reactions on the post.
First of all, she is obviously a girl with a physical disability.
She has no fingers and experiences menstruation just like you. Fortunately for you, you are able to use your fingers to remove and insert the menstrual. She uses her mouth. Now, do the math.— Faith Kandenye (@imanifaithw) October 29, 2019
How does she use her mouth? I am puzzled.
— Grace Mbugua (@Granyos) October 29, 2019
I really did not want to comment about that billboard.
Have seen this one though.
Better execution? pic.twitter.com/wUgCzXU6Ck— Ms Kamaitha (@Kamaitha) October 30, 2019
Period would get to your face if you had no fingers like her.
People clearly (probably) don’t think people with disabilities menstruate— Faith Kandenye (@imanifaithw) October 29, 2019
Wambui Murage There’s no shame in periods. Society is creating shame. We survived n I don’t c y others r not surviving. It’s just a creation. How does period blood go to the face? It’s yuck.
Yvette Murunga This picture speaks more than just period on the face, the lady in that picture is abled differently, and I am assuming every month she has to go through the same ordeal of trying to maintain her hygiene and at the same time deal with the discomforts that comes with the end month visitor ,thank you ciku for this I now know better #say no to period shame
Alfy Tichy Mutai One thing we badly need today is for people to be compassionate rather than judgemental. Anyone can blame but it takes a good heart to feel.our sisters should never be ashamed of there menstrual blood.
Ryan Gitau Njeri I have never been disgusted of menses, or even felt ashamed about them, but this picture makes me feel yuck… so it doing the opposite for me, there was surely a better way of driving the message home… rather than this😣😣😣
Karimi Christine Why a girl with a disability? Why the mensural cup? It looks like she spilt it on herself because of her disability… all in all, I think the people who want to make periods acceptable are overdramatic and have lost the point. The experiment with ladies walking with a stained dress was more informative and effective…. this is just NASTY!