An Israeli bar has decided to give a 25% period discount on drinks in solidarity with menstruating women.
Anna Loulou, a bar in Jaffa, has come up with the idea for happy hour discounts that might be a global first: 25 percent off the bill for any customer who declares that she’s having her period, Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
The women behind the initiative, Moran Barir and Dana Etgar, say that since women are menstruating for 25 percent of their lives, they deserve a 25 percent discount for one night, at the very least. The “Bloody Hour” discount will be given on an honor basis, with no need for forensic evidence. according to Haaretz.
“The whole idea is to give a discount, attention and a treat to someone, to say ‘we recognize you, we are aware of the special situation you’re in right now, and hey, we want to do you a favor,'" Haaretz quoted Barir as saying.
The whole thing can be looked at as just a gimmick, but it can also be viewed as part of a wider global trend.
“Beyond the initial childish embarrassment, ‘cause that how it is with anything connected to the body, we want to speak about this important issue,” Barir is quoted by Haaretz. “There is no platform for addressing the subject of menstruation and there’s no legitimacy in the public sphere for discussing it without people immediately going, ‘Ick, why are you talking about that?’”
Barir opines nightlife spots are another place in which the dialogue about menstruation must take place as such spots are part of the public space shared by men and women.
“We want women to say, ‘Hey, I’m on my period,’ and for it to have a deeper and broader resonance, for it to be legitimate for women to talk about it. When it comes to men, I think these evenings will begin to normalize the situation – yes, women menstruate, and [men] should also ask questions and gather information about the subject. It’s not only girl talk.”
