In Standart Issue 29, we published an article written by Chloé Skye Weiser titled "Periods & Cafés," which delved into the topic of period stigma and equity within the context of coffee shops. It shed light on an important issue that deserves more attention, and we remain committed to furthering the discussion.
Today, we are excited to present the results of our recent survey, which aimed to gain insights into the obstacles faced by menstruating individuals in public spaces, specifically coffee shops. By conducting this survey, our intention was to encourage cafés to provide accessible and affordable period care products and cultivate an environment that facilitates open conversations about periods, ultimately reducing period stigma.
The survey has enabled us to gather valuable information and understand the challenges experienced by individuals who menstruate while visiting coffee shops. We are eager to share these findings with you, as they provide important insights into the current landscape and shed light on potential areas for improvement.
By unveiling these survey results, we hope to inspire meaningful change and foster a society that is more compassionate, inclusive, and understanding. Our collective efforts can create an environment where everyone feels comfortable, supported, and empowered to discuss and address period-related matters.
That's why we also had a post-survey chat with the author Chloé about the survey results and you can also check out the summary of our analysis of the results here, in Standart Community article.
_________________________________________________________________________
Survey period: April 15th to May 15th, 2023
Number of responses: 164
Answers from café visitors
Answers from participants working in a café
Conclusion
Through conducting this survey, we have once again realised that there are considerable individual differences in the way people think about and feel about menstruation, as well as the pain they experience in each cycle. And despite the fact that many people feel some kind of discomfort every month, access to period care is often perceived as a problem that should be solved by the individuals, not by the public institutions, organisations — or in our case, coffee shops.
In our post-survey talk with Chloé, we talked about what makes a public space a public space, how does a coffee shop fit into that definition, and if we're all been kept silent for so long about this issue, so now every time it pops up in the media - we feel we may feel unprepared and unsure how to respond, leading to a sense of being pushed into action. Could that even be a (collective) trauma response?
Read more about our in-depth analysis of the survey results here.
Explore more stories
Rachel Apple is a Cup of Excellence Head Judge, photographer, and co-founder of Raise the Bar, a community and education platform for specialty coffee professionals. She loves bin diving for vinyl,...
As the sun set in Zimbabwe’s lush Honde Valley, I watched kids push car tyres up and down the street, racing each other through the village. In Africa, most often, less is more. People are used to ...
Los Angeles resists clean outlines, and its coffee culture lives somewhere between softness and grit. Built from migration, precarious work, and long-standing food traditions, it moves at uneven te...
Tinashe Nyamudoka, founder of Kumusha Wines and Kumusha Coffee, is more than a world-class sommelier; he is a symbol of how wine, culture, and competition can challenge global narratives about tast...
When exploring foreign lands, few feelings compare to the triumph of discovering something known only to locals. Realizing these euphoric moments requires a healthy pinch of boldness, however; one ...
Some coffee origins are still in the process of becoming. Malawi is one of them—a place where potential feels tangible even if not fully realized. Farmers are steadily shaping a future for their co...
Blue-sky ski days to negroni nights, Hakuba is a 24-hour town hidden in the Japanese highlands. From the staunch octogenarian locals fiercely guarding their old traditions, to the young crowd of mu...
In recent years, matcha has become one of the most popular drinks ordered and enjoyed in cafes around the world. But with its growing popularity, several issues have also emerged, ranging from a la...
As coffee grew cheaper in 18th-century Europe, it spread beyond the elite, alarming German rulers. In Prussia, Frederick the Great saw it as a threat to order, economy, and authority. His efforts t...
Valtteri Bottas is a known quantity at Standart, being as he is a past interviewee and co-owner of Finnish roastery Kahiwa. He moves quickly, and not only when he’s piloting an earthbound rocket ar...
