Chelsea players donned ‘blood-stained shorts’ during their warm-up before Friday’s Women’s Super League opener against Manchester City, as part of a campaign to combat the stigma surrounding periods in sport.
The club collaborated with Here We Flow, a period care organisation that aims to normalise playing sports while women and girls are menstruating, and challenge their portrayal in the media.
This initiative was sparked by research from the group indicating that 80 per cent of women would feel embarrassed if they had a visible period leak in public.
During the warm-up, the back part of the right leg of the players’ shorts, which usually features a white design on a blue background, was stained red with simulated period blood as Sonia Bompastor’s team prepared to defend their WSL title.
Aki Mandhar, chief executive of Chelsea Women, stated: “At Chelsea we want to break down barriers and inspire change. We want to reset the narrative about periods, normalise them and in doing so empower and inspire the next generation of young girls, whether they play sport or not.
“Periods should be a source of strength and confidence for girls, not a hinderance.”