OU Women's Health Advocacy & The International Advisory Committee invite you to The University of Oklahoma's 1st ever
Menstrual MET Gala
The menstruation stigma is prevalent around the globe but looks different for many. The Menstrual MET Gala serves to uplift student, faculty, and staff voices to speak on their experiences with period poverty and stigma across the world to empower our community.
Amplify
Empower
Community members have the opportunity to tell their stories, for them and by them.
Sharing period experiences encourages individuals to take control of their narratives.
Dismantle
Having conversations about period poverty helps alleviate stigma across the world.
Event Details
Friday | 24 March 2023 | 6 - 9 pm
Jim Thorpe Multicultural Center | Multipurpose Rooms A, B, C
Formal / Cultural Attire
Guest Speakers
Cindy Belardo is the CEO and co-founder of Sunny, a FemTech startup creating the first menstrual cup that inserts like a tampon. A period expert of 3 years, she is a passionate social entrepreneur for eco-friendly periods, normalizing menstruation, and ending period poverty.
Cindy Belardo
CEO and co-founder of Sunny
Dr. Fatoumata Toni Sanou is a Pediatrician and Maternal/Newborn Health Specialist in Burkina Faso. She has spent 10 years managing health programs targeted for women and newborns with the No Governmental Organization (NGO) and UNICEF. She provides support to the Ministry of Health regarding topics such as quality of care for mothers and newborns, as well as sexual and reproductive health. She contributes to discussions on menstrual health with the Water Sanitation and Hygiene sectors. She also serves as a member of Women in Global Health.
Dr. Fatoumata Toni Sanou
Pediatrician & Maternal/Newborn Health Specialist National Officer in Burkina Faso, under UNICEF
Neira Kadic
Scholarship advisor and international admissions counselor for the UWC Scholarship Program at The University of Oklahoma
Neira Kadic has been working in the realm of international education for several years now. She teaches Global Perspectives courses, and holds both her BA and MA degrees in International Studies from The University of Oklahoma. Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Neira is passionate about and has done research on the topics of women’s rights and activism in the Western Balkans and Latin America, as well as digital activism/ feminism and diaspora.
Orissa Molina has been a practicing pharmacist in Belize for over 26 years. She currently works as a Senior Registered Pharmacist at the San Ignacio Community Hospital. She is passionate about educating the people in her community and using her voice to share knowledge as far and wide as she can.
Orissa Molina
Senior Registered Pharmacist at the San Ignacio Community Hospital in Belize
Seidi Quetzal
Advocate for Belizean women regarding period poverty & leads the “Don’t Tax My Femininity” campaign working to get the Belizean government to remove taxes from sanitary products
Seidi Quetzal has a Master's Degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from Ming Chuan University in Taiwan. She is an advocate for girls/women promoting good menstrual health management. This year for Women’s Month, her consultancy collaborated with the Government of Belize to remove taxes on sanitary products making them affordable to families in Belize.
Stacey Johnson is the Chair of the Youth Advisory Council for the national PERIOD. nonprofit. She also serves as the editor for their blog "The Rag". She is the Vice President of Education for the OU Women's Health Advocacy nonprofit where she dedicates her time to educating others about menstrual health and advocating for reproductive rights.
Stacey Johnson
Chair of the Youth Advisory Council for the national PERIOD. nonprofit & VP of Education for OU Women's Health Advocacy
Raifa Riza (she/her) is a Maldivian sophomore psychology major with a minor in art. She is a life-long feminist, passionate about period culture, feminine hygiene and public health in the Maldives. A fun fact about her is that she loves cooking and made her first Babaganoush recently!
Raifa Riza
Maldivian sophomore psychology major
Gala Itinerary
Doors open!
6:00 pm
6:00 - 7:30 pm
International student organization tabling, free food, pictures & more!
7:30 - 8:45 pm
Guest speaker panel
8 pm
5 minute break for fast breaking!
8:45 - 9:00 pm
Concluding statements & sponsor acknowledgements
Our Sponsors
