Postcards
Men Explain Periods to Me
27-Sep-2023
My Ugandan friends have an expression, “Joke equals truth,” and it started as a joke. When my edited anthology Period Matters: Menstruation in South Asia was published last year, my sister said to me, “Now every man who’ll ever read your book will know about your first period. Doesn’t that feel weird?” I laughed, but then I realized that, by being open about a subject I felt needed to be discussed more authentically, I’d lost my “privacy” about an intimate bodily experience…
Period Matters in Taiwan
15-Sep-2023
Very glad to see the book in the Taiwan Period Museum, and reach a new audience.
“Just added a gem to our collection. A heartfelt thanks to @farahahamed @panmacmillan for donating Period Matters – a deep dive into menstruation in South Asia.” twitter.com/periodequity_tw
The Barbie Phenomenon
7-Sep-2023
I was invited to participate on The Barbie Forum: A Feminist Legacy at the London Literary Salon as a panellist. Everyone had something to say about Barbie, and while many in the group had more positive responses to the film, I had my own reasons for not liking it.
Is digitalizing menstruation dignified?
20-Apr-2023
A live webinar with guest speaker Alnoor Bhimani, professor of Management Accounting and Director of South Asia Centre of the London School of Economics (LSE). Moderated by Farah Ahamed.
24th April at 3.30pm (NPT) & 3:45pm (IST).
More information at facebook.com/DignifiedMenstruation
Pledge to give!
19-Apr-2023
Following the 1.8bn in the Red session, the Ismaili Women’s Association pledged to make a donation to Panties with Purpose.
Each pair of underpants is only Ksh 50/-. We will be giving each girl 3 panties to help them stay in school for at least a year.
If you’d like to join us on this venture please donate. If you’d like the bank details please contact us.
1.8 billion in the red
17-Apr-2023
Menstruation is a topic often buried in fear and shame. Its discussion is even taboo in many societies. But menstruation is a healthy and fundamental bodily process. Join us as we attempt to dissect and explore menstruation through essays, artwork, stories and poems. With Farah Ahamed.
Date: 18th April, 2023. Time: 5:30pm. Venue: ITREB Nairobi/ Zoom. Registrations close on Monday, 17th April 2023.
Please use this link to register:
https://bit.ly/billions_in_red
Can Art Heal?
12-Apr-2023
Earlier this month I did a session on period art with the undergraduate students on the Public Health programme at the University of Pittsburg.
The subject of my presentation was specifically Raqs-e- Mahvaari, or menstrual dance which is included in Period Matters, and choreographed and performed by Amna Mawaz Khan. I discussed various forms of art and how they can help community healing, self expression, raise awareness, help to educate, as a data collection tool and more…
June Gachui interviews Farah Ahamed
11-Apr-2023
Listen now on SoundCloud. Farah discusses her motivation for writing Period Matters and draws out four main themes which she feels would be of interest to young Kenyans. These include period tracking apps, climate change and period poverty, art and activism and policy and regulations relating to periods at work and social media spaces. She also speaks about the need for inclusivity and highlighted the trans experience, those of people with disabilities and others…
Book launch at Muthaiga Country Club, Nairobi
24-Mar-2023
On a warm Friday evening in March, fifteen people gathered at the Muthaiga Country Club in Nairobi to discuss period art as a way of opening up the conversation into the many ways in which menstruation is experienced. Through an engaging power point presentation, participants discussed film, art, sculpture, poetry and other artistic mediums which depicted menstruation. They made period art, shared personal experiences and talked about how periods were shrouded in myths and shame…
Workshop on Why Period Art Matters
7-Mar-2023
I conducted a workshop which looked at how menstruation is depicted in different forms of art at a university in Lahore. It attracted over 40 participants who engaged in the images and clips I shared, and also made art of their own.
I spoke about the diversity of menstruation experiences and the importance of inclusivity to ensure all menstruators were part of the conversation.
A Period Piece
3-Mar-2023
By Azadeh Monzavi
My period journey began while walking through the Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s historic train which was making a stop at various cities throughout Turkiye in either 1998 or 1999. I remember vividly jumping off from the train steps and suddenly feeling something happen within my body. I was unsure of what it could have been at the time….
Why period art matters
3-Mar-2023
Why Period Art Matters was a live session on Instagram, held on 8th December to celebrate Dignified Menstruation Day It was hosted by the publishers of Period Matters, Pan Macmillan.
The session focussed on the importance of period art as a tool for healing, community building, activism, education and as a pathway to self-connection.