There’s a lot of pressure in movements. Once a hashtag starts trending, people expect you to perform what it means in loud, clear terms. To know where you stand, to say the “right” things. But when it comes to being #PeriodPositive, I’ve realised that there isn’t one way to show up and that’s exactly the point. When the Lady Lydia Foundation launched this campaign, it wasn’t just to encourage open conversation about menstruation. It was about making space for honesty, personal experience, and about building a Uganda where menstruation doesn’t limit what a girl can do, say, or dream. As someone who has lived through some discomfort and awkwardness while navigating the learning curve that comes with menstruation, weighing in on what this campaign means to me feels deeply personal.
We say it often, “menstruation is natural”, and it is. But let’s not pretend it’s always easy. Periods bring cramps, fatigue, low moods, disrupted schedules, and for many girls across Uganda, shame. For some, it also means missing school, using unhygienic alternatives because pads are unaffordable, or avoiding public spaces altogether. So while being period positive might sound like it’s all about empowerment, it should also leave room for the very real and uncomfortable parts. Being #PeriodPositive doesn’t mean pretending periods are fun. It means acknowledging they exist and that girls shouldn’t be disadvantaged because of them.
In many parts of Uganda, we’re still dealing with silence. As an organisation we’ve met girls who didn’t initially understand how to manage their menstrual cycle. Some girls are too afraid to ask questions, and no one is volunteering the answers. That silence costs comfort and learning opportunities. That’s why the work we do at the Lady Lydia Foundation matters. In Lyantonde and other communities, we are breaking the silence through school workshops, menstrual health talks, and by providing access to affordable pads. But more than that, we’re creating safe spaces where girls are taught not to be ashamed of something their bodies naturally do. Where having your period is not a secret to be hidden, but a part of life to be managed with dignity.
I used to think that being #PeriodPositive meant having to speak up all the time. That if I wasn’t constantly advocating or joining public conversations, I wasn’t doing enough. But I’ve come to learn that it’s okay to choose when and how you show up. Some days, I want to have open, even funny, conversations about menstrual health. Other days, I just want to take care of myself quietly and both of those are valid. What matters is that we’re creating a culture where periods aren’t hidden in shame or tiptoed around in hushed tones. That we’re building a Uganda where young girls don’t have to feel alone. Where boys learn too so that menstruation stops being “a girl’s thing” and becomes understood for what it really is: a human thing.
In the end period positivity isn’t just about mindset but dignity and access too. We can talk all day about confidence and empowerment, but what does it mean to a girl who has no pad, no clean washroom, and no clean water? How do we expect her to embrace her period if it’s making her miss class or fear embarrassment? That’s why field work like our outreach in Kasagama sub-county is so crucial. At Lady Lydia Foundation, we’re not just talking about periods but also delivering pads to schools, training peer educators, holding sensitisation sessions, and building the kind of support system every menstruating girl deserves. We’re trying to ensure that period positivity isn’t only possible for girls in cities, or for girls who can afford products, but for every girl everywhere. So whether you’re someone who can donate pads, host a menstrual health talk, or just change the way you talk about periods in your own home, your contribution matters.