Period poverty: addressing the IMpact of U.S. Sanctions on the lives of women in Cuba

Lindsey Leigh completed her Illinois Global Scholar project in the spring of 2021 during her senior year. She became interested in the issues of period poverty as a sophomore during her Global Citizenship class after watching the film "Period. End of Sentence." Lindsey learned that one of the regions with the least access to feminine products was Cuba, and despite the logistic challenges of looking at Cuba, Lindsey was determined to figure out ways to make an impact. After learning about the restrictions on the importing of feminine products to Cuba, Lindsey resolved to increase knowledge about this topic by spreading awareness and getting individuals to learn more and take action. Lindsey created a film discussing the issue and wants to continue to look at the various sanctions on Cuba from the US government to see about making impacts in Cuba with changes to US policies by communicating with representatives who have the legislative power to make a difference.