Documenting Period Poverty: How Period. End of Sentence. Frames Menstrual Stigma and Menstrual Activism

This study investigates audience interpretations of the Oscar-winning documentary "Period. End of Sentence." (2018) and the efficacy of its activist approaches to period poverty. Utilizing postcolonial and feminist theories, this qualitative research employed focus groups and in-depth interviews with diverse Indian and global participants, analyzed thematically. Findings reveal that the documentary was successful in initiating critical conversations about period poverty and highlighting the value of economic empowerment through local pad-making. However, while its focus on Menstrual Hygiene Management addressed material deprivation, it offered limited solutions to the deeper, systemic roots of period poverty and risked perpetuating existing power dynamics.