From different skin tones to LGBT couples, emoji have been used to shatter stereotypes. But as of yet, they haven’t addressed one huge one: the menstruation taboo. Women all over the world still feel uncomfortable and embarrassed talking about their period with male friends, family and work colleagues. An annoying fact, perhaps, but one that we’re sure almost every woman can relate to.
Thankfully, the children’s rights organization, Plan International has asked Unicode Consortium to furnish the 2018 global emoji keyboard with the long-awaited period emoji.
Yep, that’s right. PERIOD-THEMED EMOJIS COMIN’ AT YA. The group has created five adorable designs: a winged pad collecting blood, a red and pink uterus, a blood-stained pair of undies, a calendar speckled with blood drops, and blood-drop smiling and frowning faces.
People can vote for their favorite emoji online until June 2, 2017, and the winning emoji will be presented to the Unicode Consortium (AKA Emoji HQ) in 2018. Right now, the panties are winning by a landslide. To help make this happen, all you have to do is react to the Facebook photo above or visit Plan International. May we be able to break the stigma soon!
Plan UK are breaking the taboo of talking about periods with a #periodemoji design contest. Vote for your fav here: https://t.co/B6kz4txtKY pic.twitter.com/dsLKtqWgI6
— Katherine Ryan (@Kathbum) May 26, 2017
