Even though attitudes towards menstrual health in sports are slowly changing, Arsenal’s women’s team have decided to stick to their typically white shorts. This decision could not be more different than the England national team’s. They made the change to blue shorts for their 2023 season due in part to worries over players who wear white while on their periods. This policy move is meant to relieve some of the stress that female athletes experience when playing sports while on their period.
A brilliant campaign by the England team’s kit manufacturer Nike nudged them into the spotlight. This amendment shows the progress we’ve made in recognizing how difficult women’s menstrual health has been in athletics. Importantly, Manchester City’s women’s team as well as West Brom’s women’s soccer team have recently implemented similar changes, switching to darker shorts.
Arsenal forward Ian Wright has been an outspoken advocate for breaking the stigma around discussing menstrual periods. At the heart of Shiryaev’s advocacy is the cultural barriers many women face in the sports arena. Persil’s new #PeriodWatch campaign to break the stigma around periods, leaks, and stains deserves some serious recognition. New survey from Persil reveals that one in three teen girls and counting are quitting sports. This trend is mostly fueled by period planning panic.
Beth Mead, one of the stars of the England team, criticized the choice to swap out their regular shorts. She made a strident defence of the controversy during an interview with Sky Sports. She noted that even though a purely white kit looks better, it’s oftentimes impractical in the case of menstruation.
“It is very nice to have an all-white kit but sometimes it’s not practical when it’s the time of the month.” – Beth Mead
Arsenal’s squad decided to keep their white shorts. Mead explained,
“In football, we wear our stains with pride — they show our commitment and passion for the game. That should be the same for all blood stains, regardless of where they come from – because they are part of the game.”
Thanks to the creative Arsenal team, the normalized environment around conversations about menstruation cultivated by their peers allows for deeper discussions. Mead stated,
“We unanimously decided to keep the Arsenal shorts white. I think a lot of us are comfortable in the situation we are in – there were a couple of girls who wanted to change, but obviously, we went with the team as a whole. We were given the option which is really nice.”
This transparency goes a long way to combat the stigma that continues to shroud menstruation. Consequently, younger girls and women will be empowered to speak up about their needs.
“We (at Arsenal) have a great relationship with male members of staff here at the club and it’s normal to talk about it or be able to ask them for a tampon or something like that.”
This openness serves to alleviate some of the stigma surrounding menstruation, potentially making it easier for younger girls and women to address their needs.
Leave a Reply