Period poverty - 'girls'

[WhatNow40]

I'm going to be speaking to a group soon about period poverty and am having a wobble over GC vs PC phrases. I'm talking about making period products freely available to girls within schools, via public donations.

Is it ok to say girls? Or should I say young people? I don't agree with providing free products to children who don't have the biological need for them. But I don't want to alienate gender-nonconforming biological females...!! How on earth do I phrase this without being a dick?

On the other hand, I do think boys and girls should receive equal education around biology and how our bodies work. That includes boys knowing/seeing/touching period products to help remove the stigma. Advice gratefully received.

If they have periods they are girls. Their sex is female.

There was an awesome film recently of a gynaecologist speaking to girls and boys about women's reproductive systems. Might be helpful?

Its correct to say 'girls'.
'Girls' and 'women' are biological sex classes, and only women experience menstruation and menopause, and pregnancy. Only women ovulate and lactate, only women can breastfeed.
Only women have female sex organs.

Women who have dysphoria are not excluded from the class 'women'. They may prefer to use different terms, but we need to use plain English to speak clearly, and not exclude the majority,.

I'd include boys as much as possible then perhaps a male free session so that girls can be honest and open without any embarrassment in front of the boys.

Best of all would be small intimate groups but obviously takes more time.

Sorry I've sort of misread the op!

Girls is correct.

If there's any query, I'd reiterate that girls are young human females and will have a period too.

I think I thought you were leading groups.

But this film is still awesome!

AS a gender non conformant person, I am happy with the terms girl and woman when referring to my biological sex. I would find euphemism offsenive , deny8ng the existence of the root cause of many of my life problems. Doubtless others may feel differently, so sticking with facts like “women” is best.

Thanks so much for your helpful replies and for the video @NeurotrashWarrior

It's great to hear from your perspective as well @MIdgebabe it gives me confidence to carry on and then respond to any dissatisfaction after the fact with a reiteration of biology. Thank you.

When teaching PSHE I covered puberty with a mixed sex Y7 class, including periods and sanitary protection. One of the boys seemed puzzled by the way tampons worked, asking if that meant they would get “full of blood”. A girl rolled her eyes. “I’ll explain, shall I miss?” “Go ahead” said I. And she did, simply and straightforwardly. The boys were a bit “Yeuch” but expressed sympathy, saying that it didn’t sound much fun. On the way out the girl said to me “I started when I was 9 so I know all this stuff” and I told her she had explained it really well, far better than I would have. That’s as an example of how inclusivity (girls and boys together) can work well, but they were a lovely class generally.

In what way are you using the term "gender non-conforming" ?
Do you mean trans or those that think they're trans? Or do you mean actually gender non-conforming girls? Gender non-conforming girls won't care because they are girls and know they are (unless they've been led to think otherwise (is that what you mean?)).
Trans is not gender non-conforming, no matter if they try to take that term. Trans is actually gender conforming, especially the new kind that claims you don't need dysphoria, so basically girls who are thinking they're trans and calling themselves boys because they don't fit,or they reject, the gender stereotypes and roles society socially conditions girls to have. Whereas a gender non-conforming girl says, fuck your stereotypes and whatever gender roles I'm supposed to have, I'm a girl AND I'll do and like whatever I want, regardless if society says it's "for boys" or "masculine" .

And vice versa for boys.

The choice of language really is a minefield for those who don't really follow gender politics. I'm slightly aware, which is why I asked the question.

I suppose I'm wanting to include all young females but don't want to be accused of using non-inclusive language. I don't want to go all 'fluffy inclusive' and use different language when it's not necessary. I just want to say girls! But from this thread, I think I'm safe to do that.

Girls menstruate, not people. If you don't use girls then you're part of the problem. Girls isn't a dirty word. Losing our language isn't helping girls and women it's harming them.

Thanks Lumpy, I agree. The event I'm at had a group of drag queens promoting it last year and I suppose I'm being a bit over cautious!!