Period. End of Sentence: Andrew Shinkle

  Film director Rayka Zehtabchi walked under the Dolby Theatre’s bright lights during the 91st Academy Awards, on Sunday, February 24th. Her film, Period. End of Sentence, had just won the Oscar for Best Short Documentary. The film’s recent attention hopes to bring change to a massive problem for women across the world: menstrual equality.

  The introduction of feminine hygiene products to the less-fortunate is mostly an issue in nations such as India. Women are forced to find alternatives, some of which include leaves, corn husks, and rocks. Education is sacrificed for those who spend time sitting on sheets of cardboard to soak up the blood.

   Actively-menstruating Indian women are forbidden from entering religious temples, as they are deemed “dirty” and “unclean”.

   The extent of the problem is shown by a group of four Indian men in the film. When asked what a menstrual period is, they responded cluelessly. “Like a class period? The kind you’d ring a bell for,” they said.

   Pad-making machines are being installed in many villages to help combat the issue. They provide women with a quick solution, and even create jobs during times of unemployment rates.

   In our nation, women take the quick access to feminine hygiene products for granted, making life without them unimaginable. All females should have the basic rights to education, social equality, and religion; all things that we unconditionally enjoy in the U.S.

   Even though Period. End of Sentence insinuates the closure of an idea, the battle for menstrual equality is just beginning.