About us

ABOUT US: THE PERIOD! TEAM

THE DAILY TEAM

Founding editor Paula Kragten (NL) has years of experience in the world of magazines. She wondered why every possible topic has its own magazine, except the one and only thing that all women have in common: menstruation. And that was the start of Period! Magazine.

Managing editor Yayeri van Baarsen (PT) writes, translates, edits and tests products. There aren’t many mistakes she doesn’t spot. Apart from Period!’s managing editor for the English edition, Yayeri is also a freelance journalist.

OUR CONTRIBUTERS

She lives in The Netherlands now, but social inclusion facilitator, human rights activist, freedom fighter / soroptimist and feminist Sangita Khadka – rewarded as most inspiring Twente woman in 2020 – is originally from Nepal. ‘A country where menstruation is seen as taboo and ‘chaupadi’ is still practiced in rural areas.’ This inspired her to write several beautiful poems. You can follow her via Twitter and Instagram.

Surjit Singh Flora (CAN) is a veteran journalist and freelance writer based in Brampton, Canada. When his 14-year-old daughter started getting her periods, she didn’t want this mentioned to her dad as she felt ashamed and embarrassed. To show there’s no reason for feelings of shame – and to stop the various menstruation misconceptions he’s encountered – Surjit Singh Flora wrote this blog. Follow him via X/Twitter.

Social entrepreneur Monicah Muhoya (Kenya) is the founder of SisterSpeaks Global and the Heels4Pads Foundation. It’s her mission to create opportunities and spaces in digital entrepreneurship for women. Aspiring to become a force of social entrepreneurship in Kenya and Africa, Muhoya is deeply committed to ending period poverty. Follow her on Twitter.

Carla Rosseels (Belgium) is an author, educator, psychotherapist and celebrant specialised in rituals and celebrations. She has published several books in Dutch about this topic, such as Rituelen Vandaag, Afscheid en Natuurrituelen. Currently she is living in Northland, New-Zealand, where she’s a trained celebrant for weddings and other ceremonies in English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch.

Sonali Sharma (India) is from Dehradun, the capital city in the Indian state Uttarakhand. She’s a postgraduate in environmental studies from Panjab University Chandigarh. She is also a frequently published poet and writer. Her poems have appeared in the Indian Periodical, Indian Ruminations, Indus Woman Writing, The International Human Rights Art Festival (New York City), The Kali Project: Indian Women’s Voices (USA), Femasia (UK) and Our Poetry Archive (USA). You can follow Sonali on Facebook and Instagram.

Hayley Cockman (UK) recently decided to speak up about reaching menopause at the age of 14. She hopes that by sharing her story, she can help other women and health professionals realise that premature menopause can happen at such a young age. Follow her on Instagram or her blog.

Pragya Gupta (India) is an actor, poet, jeweller designer and social entrepreneur. She’s a volunteer for people’s collective PadSquad that works towards making sanitary pads accessible to underprivileged women and girls in India. Pragya is also the founder of BLOOD WARRIORS, an online support group by & for Thalassemia patients and parents.

Geeta Pradhan (Nepal) is the global lead gender advisor at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO). Geeta has worked in the development sector for over 15 years and in more than 25 countries. Geeta has led, designed and managed programs on women’s empowerment, including gender-based violence and human rights.

Katharina Eggert (Germany) is a freelance researcher focusing on the interrelation between (pre)menstrual health and work. She has a BSc in Economic Science and a MSc in Health Economics. Having been affected by PMS and cramps and not having been able to openly discuss this at her previous workplaces, Katharina started to research the impact of (pre)menstrual disorders on productivity and quality of life. Visit her Instagram page.

Kate Codrington (UK) is a menstrual and menopause mentor, writer and facilitator who has been a therapist for more than 25 years. She’s been featured in Time Out, The Evening Standard, the London Metro as well as various well-being publications. Her mission: to change the way we regard menopause and show women how to relax into their own, inner authority through their cyclical nature and menopause process. Visit her website katecodrington.co.uk

Rathi R (India) is an Indian writer with an interest in feminism and mental health. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a background in academics and the non-profit sector. Her work has been published in The Asian Writer, LitGleam, Feminism in India and Classism Exposed. Rathi also writes at ratzest.wordpress.com.

Sumit Banik (Bangladesh) is a public health activist with experience in different health studies as a research worker. He has completed his post-graduation degree on public health. Sumit is passionate about working for marginalized and unprivileged community people, developing their health outcome through a sustainable approach. Currently he’s working with Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS) as Master Trainer in ‘Our Lives, Our Health, Our Futures’ Programme at Bandarban Hill District in Bangladesh.

Nora Jongen (NL) is a designer, fascinated by cycles. In her projects she examines both the rhythm of time and the rhythm of the menstrual cycle. She graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven with the project Cyclical Life: four workspaces that support the qualities of the different phases of the menstrual cycle. She is now also a consultant for the Sensiplan fertility awareness method and is committed to disseminating knowledge about the menstrual cycle. Follow her on Instagram via @Saiklik.

Sai Sailaja Seshadri (USA) is the founder of online platform Women’s Republic. She is passionate about women’s rights and decided to start Women’s Republic after realizing that a bigger and more inclusive platform for women is necessary in the society we live in. You can find her on Instagram via @saisalu97. Make sure to follow Women’s Republic via Twitter or Instagram.

Laura Millions Cone (CAN) has struggled with pelvic dysfunction caused by endometriosis and related conditions almost her whole life. Working as an advocate for pelvic pain and conditions, she co-founded the support page Saskatchewan Pelvic Pain & Endometriosis Warriors.

Rebecca Plume (USA) is a professional corporate aerialist and a teacher of circus arts and yoga. She’s 38 years old and has never been on the pill. Rebecca has recently learnt to truly love her menstrual cycle and now even looks forward to her period as she devoutly follows her cycle and uses it to the full effect.

Amy Verkerk (UK/NL) is a British expat living in The Netherlands. She is an English tutor via her own bureau English Now and also a talented blogger. Besides all this she works as an editor for the English edition of Period! Magazine.

Dafina Malovska (UK/Macedonia) had to have a total hysterectomy after womb cancer had spread to her ovaries. In order to reduce late diagnosis she has started the #checkMEup petition for yearly gynaecological check-ups in the UK. Follow her on Twitter.

Emily Barclay (UK) wanted to provide a platform for women who are experiencing these worrying symptoms but who believe to be too young to be in the menopause. That’s why she founded the Perimenopause Hub.

Tessa Custers (NL/ South Africa) wants to create more openness and encourage people to think about their attitudes towards sexuality and reproductive health. That’s why she initiated She Blooms.

Maggie Di Sanza (USA) is the creator of the social campaign Bleed Shamelessly, which she started with the hope of educating others about the menstrual inequities that exist in our culture.

Jeff Robbins (USA/Japan) is devoted to exploring the unknown woman-centered works of Basho and spreading them out to world. Follow him on Twitter.

Christel Janssen (NL/ Hawaï) is a writer, Qi gong teacher, speaker and acupuncturist. She’s dedicaded to inspiring others to listen to their inner voice and has founded the Virtual School for Spontaneous Movement on the island of Kauai.

Mariette Reineke (NL, on the right) is a freelance journalist, writer/blogger and co-founder of Stichting Verkering met Jezelf. Follow her via her platform Heartstorm. Naomi van Ree (NL, on the left) is a storyteller and reiki therapist who specialises in Eastern elements philosophy and acupressure. Find more information on her website.

Cindy Lopez Smith (USA) is a Wellness Management student, Peer Support Provider for the International Association for Premenstrual Disorders (IAPMD) and USA Project Coordinator for Vicious Cycle: Making PMDD Visible – a global patient led awareness project.

Emma Chesworth (UK) is a feminist activist based in the north east of England. She’s a co-founder of Free Period NE, a campaign looking to tackle period poverty in the region. Emma is a writer and a regular contributor on regional television, radio and in the press on women’s issues. Follow her on Twitter.

Rosie MacLeod (UK) has a strong background in European Studies. She has written extensively on language politics. When she isn’t writing, she can be found translating and making radio programmes. She is the host of ‘Political Motivation’ on @WomensRadioStn and @EastLondonRadio. Listen to her podcasts on mixcloud.com/rosie-macleod.

Sara Lopez (USA) is a Certified Hormone Specialist and Adenomyosis & Endometriosis Health Coach. Through coaching, she creates a safe space for women to find relief from heavy periods and transform their hormones. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Clare Knox (UK) is a business psychologist with a passion for women’s health. She conducted research on women’s experiences of PMDD in the workplace. She is also the founder ofSee Her trive, a business consultancy raising awareness of reproductive health in the workplace through corporate training and education.

Yasmin Soni (India) is a research scholar at Tata Institute of Social Sciences. She’s currently in the first year of her PhD. Yasmin has noticed menstrual taboos, fabricated with religion, as an intricate part of ordinary women’s lives. She aspire to work on improving menstrual hygiene in India and breaking taboos at the rural level.

Kelly Grehan (UK) is a blogger, worker and mum. She started the Red Box Project Dartford in Kent, England. The Red Box Project is a nation-wide initiative that ensures that no young woman misses out on her education because of her period. They place constantly stocked Red Boxes of sanitary wear in schools.

Cynthia Stalde (Riga) blogs about the battles of body hair removal and the joy of periods. In the past, Cynthia occasionally missed a couple of days of school because she wanted to pull out her uterus and throw it out when ‘that time of the month’ came around.

Rimli Bhattacharya (India) is a first class gold medalist in Mechanical Engineering and has an MBA in supply chain management. She writes for several magazines, Times of India, engineering journals and blogs, and is also a trained Indian Classical Dancer.

Kate Bavister (USA) is a writer and artist who incorporates nature, art and science to enhance understanding of the embodied experience. She’s interested in maintaining peak health through conscious living, ingestion, movement and arts. She studied Anatomical Sciences.

Sonia Chatterjee (India) is an ex-banker turned blogger. She’s passionate about writing and lets out pent-up emotions through words, hoping to resonate with the emotions of her readers in the journey.

Taq Bhandal (CAN) is a PhD Student at the Social Justice Institute at the University of British Columbia. Outside of her PhD, she volunteers with the Vancouver Women’s Health Collective.

Annebelle Nooteboom (NL) is specialized in digital storytelling and corporate journalism. She published Project Red – about heavy menstrual bleeding – and studied journalism at Fontys Hogeschool Journalistiek.

Barbara Younger (VS) is founder of Friend for the Ride: Encouraging Words for the Menopause and Midlife Roller Coaster. Ze published around twenty books, for adults and children. She lives and works in North Carolina.

Noni Roberts (UK) is a Welsh backpacker who’s travelling with her boyfriend Ryan. On her blog she describes the uncomfortable truths that come with the incredible experience of backpacking. You can follow her on Twitter.

Hilary Webb (UK) holds a first class honours degree in English Literature and French and lives near London. A writer, blogger and social media enthusiast, she particularly enjoys writing about female health, Femtech and literature.

Brett Buchert (USA) wants to help women all over the world who might also be suffering from PMDD. Together with her mother she created a special app. Follow Brett on Instagram.

Catharina den Dekker (NL) is a writer and poet. She shares her stories and poems via her blog Woordspelen and also wrote two books. Also, she shares her facination for art via her Dutch blog De Kunsthistorica Vertelt.

Charlot Verlouw (NL) is a freelance editor and journalist. She studies Journalism and Media at the University of Amsterdam and is also a committed Twitter feminist.

Hannah Whelan (UK) is a recent Master’s graduate based in Amsterdam. Her former research has explored the experiences of menstruation in India, where she collaborated with Eco Femme, a social enterprise that provide washable cloth pads and menstrual health education to rural women.

Kirstie McCrum (UK) is an award-winning Manchester-based news and features journalist. She mostly writes about social issues, feminism, art & culture, and health & wellbeing. Her writing has been featured in the New Statesman, Mirror Online, Wales Online, the Guardian and more. You can follow Kirstie on Twitter via @kirstiemccrum.

Sarah Sahagian (CAN) is a professional feminist and a PhD candidate in Gender, Feminist & Women’s Studies at York University in Toronto. Her writing has been featured in The Huffington Post, The Beaverton and She Does The City (amongst others).

Molly Aldrich-Wincer (UK) is a Sussex-based business development advisor and blogger who is passionate about equality and inclusion. Her aim: to start a global gender inclusive discussion about menstruation and why it’s still a taboo topic. You can find her on Twitter via @maldrichwincer

Andra Laarhuis (NL) does the honours in the Period! Magazine office when needed. Apart from all-round magazine editor and sports journalist, she’s also the founder of Theems Media and Done-That.nl.

Julia Banim (UK) is a Manchester based web content writer and researcher, mental health blogger and freelance writer.

Mary Novaria (USA) is a blogger and journalist. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, Redbook, Country Living, Delish, Dr. Oz The Good Life, Good Housekeeping, Chicago Tribune, Kansas City Star and Huffington Post (amongst others).

Robyn Jones B.Sc (AU) works in private practice, writes about women’s health, anxiety, children and motherhood, and runs a catering business that specialises in gluten free food.

Cruz Santana (USA) is a freelance professional writer and editor from San Antonio, Texas, with a background in science and medicine. She is also the founder of The Freelance Dance; a platform for freelance writers and bloggers.

Luisa Maria van Lieshout (Bonaire) spent ten years in the Netherlands as a self-employed copywriter. She then moved to Bonaire because ‘everything had to change.’ Now she’s a creative writing tutor and writes for her own blog (in Dutch).

Melonie Syrett (UK) is a holistic practitioner and founder of One Love Energy Healing in South London. She is specialised in Reiki, Indian Head Massage, Shamanic and Crystal Healing and more.

Marije te Raa (NL) is a respected European Athletics track & field athlete and founder of Re-Run Yourself. Apart from that she’s also a freelance journalist, specialising in sport, nutrition and health.

IMAGES

Flickr, MyStudio, Pixabay, Shutterstock, Unsplash

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Period Media is a Dutch media company with a clear focus: women and hormones. This is the place to be for editorial and commercial content about puberty, menstruation and menopause. Online or in print. More information? Send an e-mail to info<@>period.media.