How were the emoticons of menstruation born that will reach all mobile phones this year

This week, the 230 new emoticons that will reach the mobile platforms from the next few months have been announced. Among the novelties, there is a red drop that represents menstruation.

The graphic has been approved by Unicode after a campaign led by the NGO Plan International with the aim of "breaking the taboo that reigns around the rule in several countries," as explained on the website of this agency.

Plan International, which operates in 75 countries and works for the rights of girls, launched in 2017 a call via Facebook to vote on one of five possible models to represent menstruation.

The winning design was an underwear stained with a drop of blood, but the drawing having been rejected by Unicode, a red drop was proposed. This image has been approved by the consortium and will be part of the emoticons that will reach mobile phones around the world from March this year.

"Emoji are today our universal language, and as such, it makes sense to use them to make the rule stop being the taboo that still remains in the world, although 800 million women and girls In Africa, one in ten girls miss school for several days because of the rule, and stigma, lack of access to products or sanitation are often a cause of death. School leaving, "said Emilia Sánchez, Director of Policy Advocacy, Plan International., On the agency's official website.

The NGO is working on different plans to promote education, inclusion and badual and reproductive health of young people and children around the world. The group provides training for teachers, volunteers and community health workers. It also distributes and distributes hygiene materials and products in schools.

The International Plan website mentions that 48% of Iranian girls and 10% of girls in India believe that menstruation is a disease. and that in Uganda, students lose one to three days of clbades each time they have their period, because of lack of hygiene or intimacy in schools, as well as of the shame that they usually feel at this time.

"On many occasions, the cost of sanitary napkins and sanitary equipment has suffocated to suffocate families, which means that girls stop going to school after the first menses and increase their chances of getting better. find in early marriages ", it is concluded on the site.