OUR STORY
About Us
What we do
We provide women fleeing sexual and domestic abuse with free sanitary products on a monthly basis to meet their monthly needs
Support Women
We support BAMER (Black, Asian, minority ethnic and refugee) community women fleeing sexual and domestic abuse in South Yorkshire (Sheffield, UK).
Love Shoe Boxes
With the help of our local Girlguiding menstrual products are packaged into "love shoe box" care packages for donation.
Monthly donations
We donate monthly care packages to provide women with ongoing support for safe and hygienic periods all year long.
Meet Our Trustees
Menstruation Matters was created in 2018 as a social accountability project. Since then it has developed into a UK-registered charity composed of university students and junior doctors working together for a single purpose; to combat period poverty!
Kate Rahnejat
Founder and Chair
k.rahnejat@menstruationmatters.co.uk
Women’s health is my passion. During my medical degree, I founded the University of Sheffield’s Obstetrics & Gynaecology Society, FGM Awareness Week 2018, Period Poverty Awareness Campaign 2019 and chaired our inaugural National Women’s Health Conference and Art Exhibition 2018. In 2018 I conducted a study exploring menstrual equity amongst BAMER abuse surviors, which led us to discover how significant menstrual inequlities were in our local community. As as result, I founded Menstruation Matters to provide free period products to empower women to have safe periods.
Megan Lloyd
Secretary trustee
m.lloyd@menstruationmatters.co.uk
I am currently a post-graduate medical student at the University of Sheffield. I joined Menstruation Matters because I believe that all women should have equal access to menstrual products and want to work towards making a change in my local community.
Tabitha Bowman
Treasurer trustee
t.bowman@menstruationmatters.co.uk
I study mathematics at the University of Sheffield. Following the Tampon Tax campaign, I became aware of the reality of ‘period poverty’ in the UK and decided to take action by joining Menstruation Matters. Period products are essential to all menstruators and I believe that more needs to be done to make them accessible to everyone; from school children to refugees and the homeless. I am so glad to be part of Menstruation Matters so that I can support my local community.
Olivia Stanton
Legal Trustee
o.stanton@menstruationmatters.co.uk
Prevailing prejudices around menstruation, poverty, and lack of affordable hygiene products put those who menstruate in difficult and even dangerous positions. I study Law at the University of Sheffield and believe challenging society’s somewhat warped attitudes towards menstruation, and providing hygienic period products to those who cannot afford them is paramount to reduce the harm imposed by such prejudices. Access to inexpensive hygienic period products is a human right. Menstruation Matters is crucial in ensuring these rights are upheld for some of the most vulnerable in our society, and I am proud to be a part of it.
Zahra Cader
Events trustee
z.cader@menstruationmatters.co.uk
I’m a medical student studying at the University of Sheffield. Upon discovering the stigma which ‘menstruation’ carries across the world, and the severe distress that many women suffer as a result, has been the driving force behind my desire to be part of MM. Menstrual health education is a basic requirement and should be easily accessible to all. I am passionate about helping to alleviate the stigma surrounding menstruation and reduce the harms caused by period poverty.
Anna Cartledge
Zero waste trustee
a.cartledge@menstruationmatters.co.uk
As a medical student at the University of Sheffield I have always been interested in women’s health and what we can do through healthcare to support and promote the health of all women within society, regardless of background. I truly believe that access to affordable and safe menstrual products is a human right and hope to tackle these inequalities whilst promoting sustainability and as caring for our environment is close to my heart. I am so proud to be part of MM and working towards empowering women to feel informed about and in charge or their menstrual health.
Eliza Bradley
Alumni trustee
e.bradley@menstruationmatters.co.uk
I’m a medical student at the University of Sheffield and from 2019-2021 was also a MM trustee. As someone interested in women’s health, a feminist and a woman, period poverty is an issue that I am very passionate about. It has held back far too many, both in this country and globally. Having previously carried out research on puberty in girls, I have been aware of how menarche can be a difficult time for many, even without the worries that those who have limited access to period products face. I am so proud to have been involved with Menstruation Matters – a charity that has made a real difference in our society.
Dr. Lucy Ryder
Alumni trustee
l.ryder@menstruationmatters.co.uk
Last year I graduated the University of Sheffield and became an NHS doctor. My interest in menstrual hygiene developed through my Intercalated International Health BSc at the University of Leeds. During which I carried out a small-scale research project in Uganda, interviewing young women about their experiences of menstrual hygiene education. This experience inspired me to take action in my local community to help alleviate period poverty through MM, which I did for two years as the Events trustee.
Dr. David Webster
Alumni trustee
d.webster@menstruationmatters.co.uk
Being involved in MM from early on was an unique experience; seeing a small project become a UK-registered charity and helping raise awareness of gender equality issues along the way. I held my trustee position as graphic designer for two years where I created the website, our charity design and ran reusable sanitary pad sewing workshops. I learnt a lot about menstrual health inequities in society and hope to take this knowledge forward as I work on the frontline as an NHS doctor.
Dr. Sarah Neal
Alumni trustee
s.neal@menstruationmatters.co.uk
I graduated from the University of Sheffield and now work as an NHS doctor – hoping to specialise in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. As a woman, I have always been passionate about the issues surrounding women’s health. Menstruation has always been a taboo, illogically in my view, and I feel empowered to ensure that women feel able to talk about it. MM is a great organisation aiming to combat period poverty, whilst decreasing the taboo surrounding menstruation, and I am very proud to be a part of it from 2019 to 2020 as treasurer.
Salma Ghafoor
Alumni trustee
s.ghafoor@menstruationmatters.co.uk
Anesu Matanda Mambingo
Alumni trustee
a.mat.mambingo
@menstruationmatters.co.uk
I’m currently studying Digital Media and Society, but have always been passionate about taking action and being the change you want to see in the world. I joined MM because I believe menstrual care is a human right and no one should have to go without it, or resort to extreme measures. One major issue that causes menstrual inequities to prevail is the stigma surrounding periods, and I feel that by holding a trustee position for two years and taking on roles such as communications was vital in order to get the conversation started.
Since 2018 we have been fortunate to have an amazing collective of trustees and volunteers striving to help us provide free products for anyone who needs them. Here are some of them:
Lucy Ryder | Ellie Patterson | Anesu Matanda Mambingo | Salma Ghafoor | Sarah Neal | David Webster | Eliza Bradley | Ann Panjikkaran | Kuljinder Singh Janu | Fran Nolan | Katie Meadows | Ellie Lloyd | Nicole Freeman | Tanvi Dabke | Mariya Ahmed | Chelsea Agidi | Julia Adams-Nye | Belinda Achieng | Ruthiee Oyenuga