Japanese movie “Little Miss Period” steps towards better understanding of women’s well-being

How much do you know about periods? Do you feel uncomfortable when talking about periods in public?

The latest survey by Nikkei BP Intelligence Group suggests that male and female managers hinder the supportive workplace for women suffering from menstruation. In the surveys, more than half of male managers feel that they don’t know how painful menstruation is and how to support working women suffering from pain. Also, it becomes clear that female employees who have never had period cramps or overcome menstrual issues through treatment are much less understanding than male employees.

Although it has been six years since the Act on Promotion of Women’s Participation and Advancement in the Workplace came into force, various issues remain to be solved.

Little Miss Period to raise awareness of menstruation

The Japanese movie “Little Miss Period (original title: Seiri-chan)” is one to recommend to all of you, especially those who work or live with women. The story is based on the original comic series by a male artist, Ken Koyama. This comic and movie were welcomed as a breakthrough step toward a better understanding of women’s menstruation in Japanese society, where people still avoid discussing periods as though it is taboo.

In the comic series, Seiri-chan (Little Miss Period), pink and heart-shaped with swollen red lips, “visits” several women and gives them some “period punch,” representing period cramps and other menstrual symptoms.

On the other hand, the film mainly focuses on Aoko (played by Fumi Nikaido), who works at a publishing company. She works with a male boss who shows little understanding of her menstrual symptoms like pain and fatigue (it is exhilarating when Seiri-chan gives her boss a period punch though) and a female colleague who doesn’t want to use a period as an excuse for low productivity. Many women may sympathize with her when Aoko laments, “If only men could get periods, even just once a year.”

Making periods understandable and familiar to all

The character, Seiri-chan, succeeds not only in visualizing periods and their symptoms that have been invisible and mysterious to men but also in making them familiar with the experience. It has been taboo to talk about menstruation in front of men because people think menstruation is something to hide and feel ashamed of. My father used to give me a disgusted or uncomfortable look whenever I talked about periods in front of him.

I’d like to say that it is quite difficult for even women to describe what periods are. While feeling annoyed whenever periods come, women also feel anxious when periods are late. In actuality, women are the ones who need an environment to share their worries openly. That’s why society believes this film may be a catalyst for all genders to better understand and respect women’s well-being.

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