HC: What is the Generation Know campaign?
Rachel: Generation Know is a women’s health campaign aimed at empowering girls to be part of the first generation to be “in the know” about their bodies and vaginal wellness. The goal is to break the taboo about not talking about it and allow them to get the facts while passing out symbolic bracelets the girls can wear to show their support.
Natasha: This campaign is targeted towards young women and to helping them to realize just how imperative it is to know the facts about your body. The bracelets we distribute serve as a symbol of empowerment for these girls. Talking about your body shouldn’t be shameful, it should be celebrated and that’s what Generation Know is about.
HC: How did you become involved?
Rachel: I became involved when I received an email from my sorority about the opportunity online and decided to apply.
Natasha: I got involved with the campaign after I saw an e-mail about it, and after reading into it became really interested and applied.
HC: When was the campaign started and how does the campaign plan on reaching out to college campuses?
Rachel: The campaign started this past Monday and will last for five weeks! The plan is to pass out more than half a million bracelets nation wide, using the marketing company Campus Entertainment to hire students at prominent colleges to run the campaign and reach as many students as possible.
HC: As brand ambassadors, what are your responsibility?
Rachel: Each week, we must present to at least one women’s organization, pass out bracelets, take pictures, collect emails, participate in social media efforts to further the cause, blog and report back to Campus Entertainment.
Natasha: Throughout the weeks of the campaign, we act as the liaison between Kotex and the women on campus. By presenting to organizations and distributing bracelets, we are spreading information to girls about how and where to get more information about their bodies.
HC: Why do you believe in the Generation Know campaign?
Rachel: This campaign is so unbelievably important to the future of women and girls all around the world. At 21, there are still things I don’t even know about my body and I don’t think it should be that way. This isn’t the 40s anymore when my grandmother was a young girl, it’s time for girls to feel comfortable asking questions when they have them and not feel awkward doing so because it’s only natural.
Natasha: Knowledge is Power. I remember when I first got my first period; I literally thought I was dying. The first step to having the power to handle situations about your body is by getting the facts, and that’s exactly what this campaign gives you. It’s chance to shape the way not only we think about ourselves, but also the way future women do as well.
HC: Why should fellow college women support the campaign?
Rachel: College girls need realize that they’re in the motion of setting the path for the future as we speak, and I hope they would want the girls of our future to be more informed than they were.
Natasha: The stigma we place on “sensitive” topics such as our bodies hinder us from knowing how to deal with things when they happen. College women should support this campaign because it’s not for us, it’s for them.