A tiny drop of blood has led to a ton of reactions on social media. The red drop, which represents menstruation, will make its way to your smartphones this year as an emoji, thanks to UK humanitarian organisation Plan International. The group succeeded in their #PeriodEmoji social media campaign to get the special emoji, reports News.com.au.
The 'period emoji' was approved by Unicode Consortium on Thursday, along with 229 other new emojis - and Twitter is celebrating. The red drop of blood is being seen as a step towards normalising conversations around menstruation and breaking the stigma that surrounds periods.
We are thrilled to announce that we are actually getting a #PeriodEmoji!
— PlanInternational UK (@PlanUK) February 6, 2019
It is through your support that we can now celebrate that the @unicode have announced that we will get our first ever #PeriodEmoji in March 2019
Find out more here https://t.co/dKd4WwEShX pic.twitter.com/CdyG5fapAx
Here is how Twitter is reacting to the news of upcoming the period emoji:
This is on its way, a period emoji- would you use it?! #emojis pic.twitter.com/qUEvTozw4n
— alison curtis (@AlisonTodayFM) February 7, 2019
period emoji is coming whoooooo pic.twitter.com/g1WxVhzYtv
— Lyric (@Lyric52717687) February 7, 2019
Well done! We needed this
— Nina Seale (@hirundonova) February 7, 2019
Yay. I've always wanted a period emoji pic.twitter.com/4vG8bMrULu
— S K (@yecats_84) February 7, 2019
However, many also felt that an emoji alone would not solve the stigma around periods
girls still have to pay for sanitary products (tampons, pads) but oh yeah there's a period emoji so we're thriving ladies
— eleanor bond (@eleanorrrs) February 6, 2019
Can someone pls explain when you would need to use the #PeriodEmoji and how it reduces stigma?
— bloss em (@Bloss_em) February 7, 2019
okay hold up,,, how does a drop of blood symbolize menstruation?? people going on about women's rights and how this will “free women of fear” but this is not even indicative of a woman's period. give me a mf tampon emoji & get rid of the tampon tax then we'll talk
— ruh roh raggie (@maggieshumar_) February 7, 2019
Many also pointed out that according to Unicode Consortium, the drop of blood may also be used to signify a "blood donation, bleeding or injury", along with menstruation. Plan International's first design attempt - an image of 'period pants' - was rejected by Unicode Consortium.
1/2 We submitted the period pants emoji to the Unicode Consortium, which unfortunately wasn't agreed.
— PlanInternational UK (@PlanUK) February 7, 2019
The blood drop emoji design was our runner up when people voted for a period emoji design with thousands of votes from around the world.
"The inclusion of an emoji which can express what 800 million women around the world are experiencing every month is a huge step towards normalising periods and smashing the stigma which surrounds them," Head of Girls Rights at Plan International, Lucy Russell, said.
"For years we've obsessively silenced and euphemised periods... An emoji isn't going to solve this, but it can help change the conversation. Ending the shame around periods begins with talking about it."
What do you think of the period emoji? Let us know using the comments section below.
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