{"id":11988,"date":"2021-07-16T09:43:24","date_gmt":"2021-07-16T02:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/illume-emag.com\/?p=11988"},"modified":"2021-08-04T22:12:12","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T15:12:12","slug":"natalia-vodianova-wants-to-eradicate-the-menstrual-stigma-at-home-and-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lavyon.com\/en\/natalia-vodianova-wants-to-eradicate-the-menstrual-stigma-at-home-and-abroad\/","title":{"rendered":"Natalia Vodianova Wants To Eradicate The Menstrual Stigma, At Home And Abroad"},"content":{"rendered":"

Natalia Vodianova<\/a> Wants To Eradicate The Menstrual Stigma, At Home And Abroad<\/strong><\/h1>\n

When Natalia Vodianova<\/strong><\/a> joins Zoom in mid-May, it has been pouring in Paris for almost three weeks, but she is clinging to the ethereal radiance that has made her a world-renowned supermodel\u2014and given her the platform to do something with it. Even in the dimming gray light and distorted by unreliable WiFi, her resolve exudes from the screen: She is desperate to talk about periods.<\/span><\/p>\n

Born in the Soviet Union, the 39-year-old has always been concerned with and concerned about shame’s pernicious impact. Her younger sister, Oksana, was born with autism, and she adds that “shame and stigma are something that makes my blood boil\u2014actually any form of prejudice.” \u201cComing from what was formerly the Soviet Union, I was taught to believe that certain methods were correct.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As a lady, she was not completely conscious of the amount of guilt she was carrying until she became an adult. When her modeling career took off in her early twenties, she found herself traveling the world, sleeping in fancy hotels, and concealing whatever period products she used in hotel restrooms. If she drank something overnight, she would instantly wash it up, fearful of the housekeepers detecting a stain. \u201cI’m thinking, this is insane\u2014and I’m an affluent lady who travels. Consider a girl living in poverty who does not have access to, say, pads,\u201d she explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Natalia
Natalia Vodianova Wants To Eradicate The Menstrual Stigma, At Home And Abroad – Source CNBC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

However, Vodianova’s frustrations with menstruation did not become activism until she made her first technology investment in the period tracking app Flo. As she used the app and communicated often with the program’s owners, she discovered that guilt around women’s reproductive health was universal, regardless of nation or socioeconomic status. \u201cSeveral anonymous discussions are occurring in Flo,\u201d she explains. \u201cGirls who were just expressing their thanks to the platform for empowering them. They felt educated. They possessed information that they were not permitted to share with anyone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then she shared an Instagram selfie of herself holding a pad. It was essentially a PR stunt\u2014she was promoting the film Pad Guy, about an Indian man who created pads for women and taught them about stigma. Vodianova was requested to upload a selfie holding a sanitary napkin \u2013 a clean one, straight from the package \u2014 to raise awareness about the image. \u201cAnd I received more comments than I’ve ever received. However, the majority of them were derogatory remarks,\u201d she recalls.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by Natalia Vodianova (@natasupernova)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n