a steadier footing

Like yes, awareness of monthly hormonal changes and the impact of those changes is important, and it’s important to note that we are not just smaller men - we’re biologically distinct and our bodies do behave differently, but I feel like it’s universalising and heavily dramatising experiences which aren’t remotely universal.

Not every woman experiences mood swings, irritability or anxiety during her luteal phase. Not every woman feels noticeably focused and full of energy during her follicular phase, and not every woman is climbing up the walls and feeling like her hottest self during ovulation. Like, I’m sure some women feel that. Some women don’t notice any emotional changes during the month and only have physical symptoms, and some women have barely any symptoms at all.

Teenage girls from Gulmit load up in a van after an all-female soccer tournament in the Hunza valley of northern Pakistan.