Various menstrual products
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pme donates: Periodensystem e.V.

Maxi Bethge-Lewandowski has a vision: to end period poverty in Germany and promote education around the topic of menstruation. As the founder of the voluntary association Periodensystem e.V., she is committed to giving the topic of menstruation the attention it deserves. In this interview, Maxi gives us an insight into her inspiring work and the challenges involved. 

"The topic of menstruation and period poverty needs more social awareness and attention."

Who is behind the periodic table?

Maxi : We are an association founded and run by volunteers. Each and every one of us pursues the mission of creating more equality and providing low-threshold help and education on period poverty and menstruation. 

Our members have been collecting donations since 2016 to provide those in need with period and hygiene products. We also work with artists, gynecologists, schools and companies to raise awareness. The topic of menstruation and period poverty needs more social awareness and attention.

What does your daily work look like?

Maxi: We distribute period and hygiene items to emergency shelters, schools, organizations and mother and child homes, among others. We are also in close contact with homeless shelters and social institutions. This means we always know what is needed when and can guarantee that the donations arrive where they are needed. We supply emergency shelters such as those run by GEBEWO, Berliner Stadtmission, SKF and DRK directly with menstrual and hygiene products via our crowdfunding page on betterplace.org

Through our online community on Instagram and Facebook, we educate people about period poverty and the topics of menstruation, equality and more in general. 

In regular online live sessions, meet-ups and interviews, our team and community members provide information on topics such as intersexuality, pregnancy, homelessness and sexuality. We also offer workshops for companies, schools and events to raise awareness of the topic among as many social groups as possible.

We make the topic visible on Instagram and cooperate with companies to get it out of the taboo zone.


Access to menstrual products is not a matter of course.

How did you come up with the idea of campaigning for period education?

Maxi : I have always thought about what actually happens to menstruating women when they are in need. People think about food, clothes and sleeping bags first, but not about periods. 

Then I heard about projects in the UK and the USA and created a crowdfunding page on Betterplace.org. I got GEBEWO on board as a partner to buy products for their emergency shelter and that's how Periodensystem came about.

What do you think a fair world looks like when it comes to dealing with menstruation - and what do you think still needs to change to get there?

Maxi: We have five demands: more education through better education policy in schools and drop-in centers, more public toilets as a shelter for menstruating women, better social policy regarding rent policy and wage levels, better health policy with education and research into diseases, and free items in public buildings - like in Scotland.

What challenges do you face most often in your day-to-day work - be it in terms of organization, financing or dealing with social taboos?

Maxi: In the social sector, our work is widely respected and recognized. We are particularly well received in communities that are committed to equality and social justice. But as soon as we move into the corporate sector, we often encounter challenges. Here, the issue is often seen as a "nice to have" - a side issue that doesn't always get the attention it deserves. 

Especially in the current political and economic situation, there is a risk that topics such as menstruation and sex education will once again disappear from the focus of public perception.
At the same time, we are seeing an increasing demand for sustainable period products, which is pleasing, but also places a heavy burden on our financial and logistical capacities.

How do people react when they hear about your work for the first time?

Maxi: We often hear: "That's right, I haven't even thought about that yet."


According to Plan International menstruating people spend an average of between 550 and 650 euros on period products per year. Many cannot afford this.

Are there any stories or encounters that have particularly touched you?

Maxi: There are many touching stories, but the words of thanks from people we have been able to help directly are particularly motivating.

You have received a donation of 10,000 euros from pme. What projects have you already been able to implement or would you like to implement with it?

Maxi: The generous donation of 10,000 euros helps us enormously to drive our work forward and distribute sustainable period products exactly where they are most urgently needed. With these funds, we can not only cover acute needs, but also implement projects aimed at long-term education and awareness-raising.

When people want to support you: What helps you most at the moment - apart from financial donations?

Maxi: Please invite us to your companies so that we can talk about this important topic there. Such conversations help to raise awareness of sustainable menstrual products and remove taboos from the topic in professional environments.

You can also support us by sharing our Instagram profile. If you have school-age children, we would be delighted if you could promote the topic in your children's schools. "Ella's World" is a fantastic guide to providing age-appropriate and informal education about menstruation for 9-14 year olds.

Social commitment of the pme Familienservice

The "pme donates" fundraising campaign has been running for four years, giving pme team members the opportunity to nominate charitable organizations in the areas of international development aid, social work, climate and animal protection and culture for a donation, which they actively support. All team members then vote for the organizations they want to support. The organizations with the most votes receive a donation from pme Familienservice. In 2024, six national and international organizations received a total of 50,000 euros in donations.

zero Failure is a matter for the boss: How to learn from mistakes for the future

Leadership & HR

Failure is a matter for the boss

Where there's planing, there's chipping. A well-known saying that takes on new relevance in times of digital change - in the form of the widely propagated error culture. After all, change requires creativity, innovation and, above all, the courage to make mistakes. Establishing a positive error culture in the company is therefore a key management task.

Germany calls itself "The Land of Ideas". We are also world-renowned for perfectionism and top quality. This is what makes our economy so unique. Even at school, we learn that mistakes bring bad marks and a scolding from our parents.

In the world of work, it is best not to make any mistakes, as this could have far-reaching consequences for the company. This striving for perfectionism does little to prepare us for the digital future. "Those who plan for a long time and want to rule out every imponderable will miss out on important trends, market entries or changing customer needs, "1 says Luuk Houtepen, Director Business Development at the international HR consultancy SThree. In his opinion, an intelligent error culture would be an important survival strategy for a company.

Zero-defect tolerance was yesterday?

In the minds of most bosses, mistakes still mean a fiasco that must be avoided at all costs. Managers are afraid to take risks - after all, there are also professional fields in which mistakes would be fatal.

Established companies in particular have a lot at stake, so it is better to take fewer risks. The frequently cited "fail fast" principle works particularly well where the costs caused by errors are low, structures are less complex and hierarchies are not yet rigid: for example, in smaller start-up companies that primarily thrive on reacting creatively and agilely to market situations.

"Large organizations with established customer relationships, grown partnerships and a high degree of responsibility for their own workforce, on the other hand, put one thing above all at risk: trust," says change management expert Sören Krüger in an article on error culture.2 In unpredictable markets, dealing with errors is always a balancing act, he says. Many managers prefer to take the safe route and pursue a zero-error tolerance. However, there is not just black or white, but various ways to embrace a culture of error.

3 ways to deal with errors correctly

It always pays to deal with mistakes confidently, because nobody makes them on purpose. Avoiding mistakes at all costs is not an option. What is needed are solution-oriented strategies to deal constructively with mistakes.

A constructive error culture is cultivated at pme Familienservice . CEO Alexa Ahmad says: "Almost everyone is embarrassed by mistakes. You can't let that paralyze you. I have no problem if someone comes to me and says: 'I think something went wrong'". However, it is difficult when team members conceal or cover up mistakes. "That almost always goes wrong, violates trust and deprives us of the chance to do better next time. Often a problem only becomes big because team members don't 'speak up'. If you admit mistakes, you can iron them out," says Ahmad.

Error culture starts with communication. This includes managers showing their teams that mistakes are not desirable, but - with certain limitations (see list below) - are not a disaster either. They are part of the creative process and pave the way for development.

Of course, there are big differences. Formally celebrating mistakes and always seeing the positive in them can be beneficial and instructive in a complex environment with many uncertainties. However, where security is paramount, it can have more disadvantages. According to the survey "This is how Germany works", 86% of respondents would at least like to see a higher tolerance for errors.3 Implementing an error culture therefore does not mean completely restructuring the company. A partial error culture is particularly suitable for larger companies.

3 86 percent of respondents would like to see a higher tolerance for errors.
 

1. fault tolerance

A culture of error is not actively promoted, but it is perfectly okay for mistakes to happen. Employees are encouraged to own up to their mistakes.

2. openness to errors

Openness to mistakes is perfect for companies or departments where there are few standards and they are required to try things out and be creative - for example in the digital sector.

3. error prevention

Of course, there are areas in companies where errors should be avoided as far as possible, for example in accounting, in the airport tower or in quality control. However, there are more control mechanisms here.

Taking joint responsibility for successes and failures

We know that: Everyone makes mistakes - it's how you deal with them that counts. Alexa Ahmad: "I think everyone has a right to make mistakes, but not the same mistake twice or three times. It's better to try something new and make other mistakes that we can learn from. My tip: talk to each other, nobody is infallible".

This is where the management level comes into play. Only if senior management establishes and lives an error culture that is adapted to the company will this have a positive impact on the company's growth.

Here, it is just as important to give constructive feedback as it is to dissolve firmly anchored basic attitudes that prevent a culture of error. According to a survey by Statista on "What makes a good manager "4, 60 percent of employees would like to see a culture of error. How can a manager set a good example? Among other things, by communicating their own mistakes positively and openly, trusting in the abilities of their team members and motivating them to tackle new tasks with courage. And by taking the time to learn from mistakes.

Read our article: "9 tips on how managers can establish an error culture in the company" to find out how you as a manager can successfully implement an error culture in the company.

About the pme Familienservice

On behalf of more than 900 employers, the pme Familienservice Group supports employees in achieving a successful work-life balance and being able to work with a clear head.

Sources:

1 https://www.marconomy.de/wieso-scheitern-gut-fuer-das-geschaeft-sein-kann-a-728814

2 https://medium.com/deutsch/warum-eine-fehlerkultur-allein-nicht-die-antwort-sein-kann-9d70caf4a90a

3 https://so-arbeitet-deutschland.com/scheitern-innovation

4 https://de.statista.com/infografik/10710/was-eine-gute-fuehrungskraft-ausmacht