The Period Poverty Project: Addressing anti-Black racism

The Period Poverty Project is an initiative set up locally in Manchester, headed up by Ghazala Tehseen. Over the last few months, MEND Manchester have partnered up locally with the organisation to support the essential work they’re doing in the community to address an issue that is often ignored, forgotten or left unspoken. We have previously written on The Period Poverty Project here which delves further into the issue of period poverty.

Our ongoing collaboration with the Project meant that during their last delivery they were able to distribute 1052 menstrual products across Greater Manchester. By delivering to a number of hubs and organisations, women and girls who are in need of these items are able to have access to a supply as required.

Although we’re very proud of and champion the work relating to suppling menstrual products, one thing that we wanted to draw focus to was the work that The Period Poverty Project team have been putting in to address anti-Black racism, specifically within the Muslim communities. Currently, the Black Lives Matter movement has been laying bare the systemic oppression of Black people, from police brutality to discrimination within leadership position. Muslim organisations, including MEND, have been looking within their own ranks to see how their biases, unconscious or otherwise, have affected their own output and decisions. The Period Poverty Project have created their own guide (Instagram, Twitter) to ensure that they we are taking positive steps towards addressing anti-Black racism within the Muslim community.

Their guide touches upon the Islamic responsibility we have as Muslims to make sure that we are not engaging in the oppression of others, that we are holding ourselves accountable to our shortcomings in this matter, and that we are actively preventing oppressors from committing injustice (especially within our own community). The importance and centrality of blackness and Black figures to Islam is also alluded to in the guide. MEND Manchester are supporting this work and are working to ensure that their work at a local level reflects the guidance put out by The Period Poverty Project.

To keep up with the amazing work and efforts of the team, you can follow them on their social media accounts:

Instagram @periodpovmanc

Twitter @periodpovmanc